![]() ![]() ![]() There are those who would like to see Georgia follow the path of other states, like South Carolina where the program was repealed for everything but long-term care facilities. “So how do I help to make the best changes for my district? … How are we going to make sure that there’s access and quality for everybody?”Īn analysis from the Senate Research Office released this month reviewed the studies available on the impact of tossing out these strict hospital regulations and found a murky view of the state-by-state effects on the health care industry. Freddie Powell Sims, a Dawson Democrat who represents a sprawling 13-county district in southwest Georgia, told reporters Tuesday. There are going to be some changes,” Sen. Whether it’s that bill or another, the issue seems poised to be a hot one again for next year. The Senate bill from the 2023 legislative session remains alive for next year. ![]() But critics note rural hospitals have closed anyway and argue the restrictive program is blocking competition and keeping new services from coming to some communities. Supporters say the decades-old law protects hospitals from new centers that could peel off profitable services and hurt existing safety net facilities. Georgia is one of 34 states with some form of certificate-of-need laws, which control the number of health care services in a geographic area by requiring health care providers that want to open or expand to show there is a demand for more services. “I think we’re all going to walk out after the (last) meeting with different ideas than we walked in the room with and that would, for me, define success.” Greg Dolezal, a Cumming Republican who sponsored the Senate bill and who is chairing the study committee. “I think that probably all of us walk into the room with certain preconceived notions on what should happen with CON,” said Sen. Now, both chambers have created study committees that will meet during the legislative off season, with the Senate’s “reform” panel getting a jumpstart Tuesday. The fraught issue was at the center of late-session jockeying earlier this year between the House and Senate, which passed a bill with a 42-13 vote that would have exempted most rural hospitals from the certificate-of-need process. State lawmakers are settling in for a long look at how Georgia regulates health care services and whether drastic changes should be pursued again next year. ![]()
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