September 15, 2011
Last week, North Carolina Speaker of the House Thom Tillis appointed Rep. Fred Steen (Rowan) and Rep. John Torbett (Gaston) to lead the new House Select Committee on Certificate of Need (CON) and Hospital Related Issues. This committee was recently formed to examine North Carolina’s CON laws. In particular, the committee will be reviewing the transparency and fairness of the current process. Advocates on both sides of the CON issues have long debated the law’s impact on cost and supply of healthcare as well as overall competition among providers in the state.
This is a significant development for all healthcare providers who do business in North Carolina. For years, critics of the CON law have called for an overhaul or elimination of the existing requirements. Proponents have taken the position that limiting supply can help control healthcare costs and protect quality.
A few of the key substantive areas under review are:
The other members of the committee are as follows: Rep. Martha Alexander (Mecklenburg), Rep. Marilyn Avila (Wake), Rep. James Boles Jr. (Moore), Rep. Marcus Brandon (Guilford), Rep. Jeff Collins (Nash), Rep. William A. Current Sr. (Gaston), Rep. Rick Glazier (Cumberland), Rep. Mark Hollo (Alexander, Catawba) and Rep. Shirley Randleman (Wilkes).
You can view a copy of the press release from Rep. Torbett detailing the appointments to the committee here.
McGuireWoods Consulting will be tracking this issue very closely over the next 18 months. If you are interested in learning more about how our team of legislative affairs professionals can help you stay in front of these ongoing developments, please contact one of the authors.