This week, both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly unanimously approved legislation that will significantly reform Tennessee's certificate of need (CON) program. Among the changes, the legislation:

Removes the following categories entirely from the CON law:

1. Modifying, renovating, or adding to a hospital or healthcare institution,
2. Acquisition of major medical equipment,
3. Discontinuation of obstetrics or maternity service,
4. Closing of any hospital that has been designated as a critical access hospital or elimination of regulated services within these hospitals;

Also removes from CON coverage:

1. Birthing centers, extracorporeal lithotripsy, swing beds, and rehabilitation or hospital-based alcohol and drug treatment for adolescents provided under a systematic program of care longer than 28 days,
2. The initiation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services, except when providing MRIs in counties with a population of 250,000 or less or when providing MRIs to pediatric patients;

 

To read the remaining changes, download "Tennessee Legislature Passes Certificate of Need Reform."