House Select Committee Looks at CON
A newly formed House Select Committee on Certificate of Need (CON) Process and Related Hospital Issues has been named. It will be chaired by Rep. Fred Steen (R-Rowan) and Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston). You can find a complete list of the committee here. The committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 10:00 am in Room 544 of the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh.
The committee will take a look at the overall CON process. Additionally, the committee will look at two specifiic issues raised in bills during the 2011 long session: HB 743 raised questions about the academic medical centers exemption, and HB 812 addressed the county line rule used in making need determinations. The NCMS Legislative Staff will provide updates and more information in the Bulletin and at https://www.compassionatecarenc.org/. Questions may be directed to Chip Baggett at [email protected] or call 919-833-3836.
Insurance Bills Included in 2011 Legislative Summary
Eight bills that fall under the Insurance category will be among the dozens of bills that will be reviewed in the soon-to-be released NCMS 2011 Legislative Summary. Insurance-related measures that will be in the summary include:
House Bill 496 – Insurance Co-pays for Chiropractic Services (NCMS opposed)
Senate Bill 608 – Health Care Sharing Organizations (Passed)
House Bill 709 – Protect and Put NC Back to Work (Senate Bill 544) (Passed)
Senate Bill 517 – Freedom to Negotiate Health Care Rates (NCMS supports)
Senate Bill 774 – Update Electronic Prescription Rules (Not debated)
House Bill 138 – Amend Health Insurance Risk Pool Statutes (NCMS supports)
House Bill 298 – Insurance Amendments A-B (Passed)
Senate Bill 323 – State Health Plan/Appropriations and Transfer II (Passed)
Get Ready for 2012: Primary, Legislative Short Session and Election
Issues of importance to physicians and their patients will be part of the 2012 Election Year. The NCMS 2011 Legislative Summary will provide background to help you better understand many of these issues. Since 2012 is a Presidential Election Year, there will be increased voter interest in issues like health care reform, Medicare and Medicaid, jobs, and economic improvements. Your NCMS Legislative Staff will be working to provide timely information to help you understand these issues, and how you can engage with legislators at the state and national level. This information will be made available through the Bulletin, Member Alerts, Legislative Updates , and the NCMS website, https://www.compassionatecarenc.org/. By being informed and involved, you can help us continue our efforts to provide access to quality health care for all North Carolinians.
at 8:32 pm
GENTLE PEOPLE CONS WERE VOTED IN WHEN THERE WAS A COST PLUS FORM OF REIMBURSEMENT SO THE HOSPITALS AND THE DOCTORS WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO DO FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. EVERY HOSPITAL AND ALL DOCTORS NOW DO A CAREFUL COST BENEFIT STUDY AHEAD OF TIME MAKING THE CON OBSOLETE. IF THE ENTITY FAILS, IT IS THE HOSP. OR DOCTORS PROBLEM. THE ENTITY DOES NOT ADD TO MEDICAL COSTS BECAUSE THE RATES ARE NEGOTIATED JUST LIKE OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES. THAT IS WHY THERE ARE FEW CON STATES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. DR. WILLIAM MULLIS
at 11:56 am
RE: CON
Some rural hospitals have gone into debt due to ambitious building projects motivated by misguided (or even incompetent!) administrators who still believe “if we build it they will come.” When the government is paying for a large chunk of the health care bill and with this money come bureaucratic strings attached, we will have a rural hospital insolvency problem when the government has to cut health care spending.
CON for private surgical centers, imaging centers, diagnostic labs, etc run by doctors, while probably more cost efficient than public hospitals, has the downside of cherry picking only those patients who can pay, and exacerbates health care access by the indigent and denies public hospitals needed revenue.
On the other hand, there is nothing like a competing surgical center or imaging center to keep bloated hospitals, or those that are mismanaged, honest.
The bottom line is that government payment system combined with all the rules, regulations, and the government’s inability to keep it’s own financial house in order makes for a schizophrenic health care system which is not only costly, but redundant at best, and more likely self contradictory.