Healthcare can be expensive and complex. But Tennessee’s rules and restrictions are making it worse, often for those who can least afford care. Adopted in the 1970s, certificate-of-need (CON) laws require a government permission slip before providing most healthcare services, such as opening a new hospital or purchasing high-tech medical equipment. Imagine if every new restaurant had to get permission from other food establishments to open its doors or even buy a new fryer or drink machine!
Over the last 20 years, approximately 1 in 5 healthcare innovations that require CON approval were rejected in the state of Tennessee. As a result, many facilities have never opened their doors or expanded to serve some of the state’s most vulnerable communities.
It’s time we changed this. The General Assembly should pass SB2009 / HB2269 and make healthcare more accessible for all Tennesseans.
STATUS UPDATE: This legislation was passed in late April, and it repeals the necessity of a certificate for a number of health care services such as nursing homes, hospice care, MRIs, PET, ambulatory surgical centers over a number of years.