(The Center Square) — A Georgia state senator has introduced legislation to repeal Georgia’s certificate of need law.
State Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, introduced Senate Bill 162. It would repeal the CON requirement for all health care facilities except certain long-term care facilities and services.
The move follows a six-figure campaign from Americans for Prosperity-Georgia to encourage lawmakers to repeal the CON requirement. The General Assembly established Georgia’s CON program in 1979, though state officials started reviewing health care projects in 1975.
“This is the year to repeal Georgia’s certificate of need laws,” AFP-GA Deputy State Director Tony West said in a statement. “These burdensome regulations limit access to quality care and drive up prices.
“What this means is that it is nearly impossible to add beds for mental health treatment, buy a new x-ray machine, or open a hospital in a rural part of Georgia,” West added. “…By ending Georgia’s certificate-of-need laws, we will usher in a new era of affordable patient choice.”
In 2021, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University found that repealing the CON requirement would increase the number of hospitals in Georgia from 176 to 250 and the number of rural hospitals in the state from 61 to 88.
The Medical Association of Georgia has previously indicated that the CON requirement is “anti-competitive.” The Georgia Hospital Association did not respond to a request for comment on the legislation.
Monty Veazey, president…
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