Florida and Iowa lawmakers approved legislation to reform the certificate-of-need process, with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist pledging to sign his states bill while Iowa Gov. Chet Culver isnt revealing his intentions.
It does look like the governor will sign the bill, said Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey. In a news release, Crist said, Expenditures will now be focused on building good hospitals rather than on litigation costs.
Ralph Glatfelter, senior vice president of the Florida Hospital Association, said his organization endorses this bills streamlining measures, which focus on whether a new or replacement facility is needed, how it would impact access and competition, and if it would provide service for indigent and Medicaid patients. It also has a loser pays provision designed to eliminate lawsuits that merely seek to delay the opening of a new facility.
Iowas CON legislation is part of an omnibus bill that includes provisions on a number of financing and policy issues. Culver has made no indication of whether he will sign or veto the bill, said press secretary Courtney Greene.
Because the CON reform is part of an appropriations bill, Iowa Hospital Association Senior Vice President of Government Relations Greg Boattenhamer said Culver can use a line-item veto to strike certain provisions and approve others.
The Iowa Hospital Association is optimistic that the governor will sign this, Boattenhamer said.
Boattenhamer said the IHAs position is to support certificates of need, and this bill is a response to a lawsuit challenging the use of a county line to draw a distinction between relocating or replacing a hospital.
Under the bill, Boattenhamer said replacement critical-access hospitals that serve 75% of the same service area, provide 75% of the same services, and keep 75% of the same staff would not have to go through the CON process even if the new facility was in a different county than the one in which the existing facility is located. -- by Andis Robeznieks
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