ATLANTA — As the meeting to evaluate Georgia’s health facility needs certificate concludes, the commission is preparing to make recommendations to legislators ahead of the 2024 Congress.
Rural hospitals and medical facilities appear to be a central topic among officials discussing the impact of the CON Act. The CON Act was originally signed into federal law in the mid-1970s as a way to assess the availability and duplication of health care services in the country. constant radius.
Congress repealed the law almost a decade later, leaving it up to the states to decide, and about 15 states have since rescinded the CON Act.
The Georgia House and Senate committees planned to host several meetings across the state to hear the views of medical professionals and residents.
The Commission will make recommendations on whether to repeal or amend the CON Act for hospitals and/or continuous care facilities of any kind.
Opponents of CON argue that the restrictions have led to rising healthcare costs and reduced access to healthcare, while CON supporters say the restrictions serve to strike a balance and that if repealed, new They argue that having to compete with hospitals could hurt local hospitals.
“We wanted to find a center that would not only provide mental health, physical health, nutrition, breastfeeding and counseling, but would revolutionize obstetric care around the world,” said Katie Chubb, founder of Augusta Birth Center. Told. Committee meeting on August 1st. “We applied for the required certificates in 2021. I completed the whole process – wrote, submitted and fought 826 pages. Unfortunately, we were denied. We cannot open stores and serve these mothers.”
Mr. Chubb, who sued the state over the denial, said he was denied because the local hospital would not enter into a transfer agreement as required by CON.
Chris Denson, director of policy research at the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, compared Georgia and North Carolina, saying they have similar geographic and rural populations.
North Carolina has CON requirements for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers, with the most closures of rural hospitals, he said. He also noted Florida, which in 2019 repealed all CON laws except specialty hospitals and long-term care facilities.
“In the meantime, they have accepted or announced the opening of 64 ambulatory surgery centers. [are] On August 1, Mr. Benson told the House of Representatives Commission of Inquiry on Determination of Needs for Modernization that it is a place where elective ambulatory surgery is performed. He is the only one of them actually operating and in a rural county. “
In summarizing academic research analyzed by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Denson said:
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Sixty percent of the tests tested were associated with the worst healthcare expenditure outcomes.
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82% of studies associate CON with reduced access and availability of health care services.
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Fifty-five percent of the tests examined were associated with CON and poor quality of service.
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80% of the tests investigated relevant CON laws with worse outcomes for underserved people.
Denson noted other states, such as North Carolina, that have introduced county population thresholds to remove CON requirements for certain facilities.
Hometown Health CEO Jimmy Lewis said 16 rural hospitals have closed in Georgia since the 1990s. Twelve of the 300 rural hospitals in the United States at risk of closing are in Georgia, according to a Becker’s Hospital Review report.
“What I can tell you is that pushing the hospital through to closure would cause unimaginable emotional distress to the community,” Lewis said. “The interesting thing here is that the population affected by this is all rural, and when these are closed, that community disappears.”
Factors such as shortages of health workers, financial stress, inflation and transportation problems are straining rural health facilities, and removing CON requirements could add to the burden, Lewis said. .
He suggested to the committee that it could help alleviate rural healthcare problems, such as the expansion of Medicaid. Increase the tax credit for rural hospitals. Subsidies for obstetricians and gynecologists. and to create rural scholarships for rural doctors.
Rep. Sharon Cooper, a member of the House Inquiry Committee on Proof of Modernization Needs, said rural residents need new hospitals to provide them with better or better options and technology. suggested that it could become
“Rather than continuing to support outdated rural hospitals, perhaps it is better to try to find new ways to attract rural people who don’t have enough people around for such care.” We can’t provide the latest technology and the latest services that are less burdensome for patients,” she said.
The Senate Review Committee on CON Reform will hold its second meeting at the Houston Foundation at 6262 Veterans Parkway in Columbus on August 28 at 9:00 am.
