A Certificate of Need - Essay Example

A certificate of need (CON) document is prepared and given in the acquisition or expansion of health services in a jurisdiction. It is primarily aimed at improving competitiveness in health care by limiting facilities to the required capacity. A CON has its merits and demerits associated with its offering. Among the merits include regulating quality in medical treatment, ensuring provider accountability, and improving community involvement (Stratmann et al., 2017). Among the demerits are the high cost of approval and access, and bureaucracy in the approval process (Morphy, 2006). Different states have varying CON regulations; Table 1 illustrates the various CON needs in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

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As illustrated in the table above, some stages are much easier than others to obtain a certificate of need. The easier it is to get a CON, the easier it is to establish an operation. The three states have relatively similar rules, but Minnesota’s appears like the easiest to follow. It is essential to understand that Minnesota’s CON program is not really formal, and has been so since 1984. Wisconsin seems to be the one with the tightest noose on CON regulations, and it would be a tasking affair to obtain approval in the state. CON regulations draw different emotions and views from proponents and opponents. Some feel that the rules prioritize profitability in an industry that should be laced with humanity (National Conference of States Legislatures, 2020). Therefore, they are viewed as controversial. Others feel that the regulations are necessary to avoid price inflation in healthcare, and thus limit patient exploitation.

References

Morphy, K. (2006). News | Pros, and CONs: Certificate of Need Debate Continues | DRG. DRG. Retrieved 24 August 2020, from https://decisionresourcesgroup.com/news/123016-pros-and-cons-certificate-of-need-debate-continues/.

National Conference of States Legislatures. (2020). CON-Certificate of Need State Laws. Ncsl.org. Retrieved 24 August 2020, from https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/con-certificate-of-need-state-laws.aspx.

Oregon Health Authority. (2020). Oregon Health Authority: Rules and Statutes: Certificate of Need: State of Oregon. Oregon.gov. Retrieved 24 August 2020, from https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/HEALTHCAREPROVIDERSFACILITIES/CERTIFICATENEED/Pages/adminrules.aspx.

Stratmann, T., Koopman, C., Mitchell, M., Philpot, A., Baker, M., & Wille, D. (2017). Certificate-Of-Need Laws: How CON Laws Affect Spending, Access, and Quality across the States. Mercatus Center. Retrieved 24 August 2020, from https://www.mercatus.org/publications/corporate-welfare/certificate-need-laws-how-con-laws-affect-spending-access-and-quality.