McMaster signs South Carolina’s certificate of need repeal

The Center Square ^ | 5/17/23 | T.A. DeFeo

[CFW]

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster unceremoniously signed a measure to repeal the state’s certificate of need regulations for most health care facilities.

The measure, S.164, establishes a three-year sunset of the CON requirement for hospitals except in counties that do not have one, where the mandate is repealed immediately. Observers say eight Palmetto State counties do not have a hospital.

"South Carolinians will have greater access to affordable health care services with the repeal of the certificate of need laws," McMaster said in a statement. "Everyone benefits when the proven power of the free market is unleashed in our state."

States started requiring certificates of need in the 1970s in the wake of congressional action to allow the federal government to withhold money from states that did not institute a program. Congress removed the incentives a decade later, but many states maintained the mandates.

[CFW]

Watch as the wait times for getting an appointment with a medical specialist, or to get basic tests performed, is reduced. Georgia has eased restrictions in "Certificate of Need" laws over the past few years, but have not yet repealed the law. I believe a repeal was approved by committee but did not advance further in this past Georgia Assembly meetings. I'm hoping it will go farther next year and we can join SC in doing away with the law.

[CFW]

In other news in the southeast:

https://www.thecentersquare.com/tennessee/article_24bd2ace-f4be-11ed-be17-5fa9221626cd.html
“Lee signs Tennessee teacher pay increase, end to automatic dues payments”

https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_0b343770-f4a3-11ed-b042-177c04635d64.html
“Promise delivered: Republicans swiftly override Cooper abortion veto”

[Red Badger]

I have never figured out why they have these laws in the first place.

If a corporation or a organization wants to build a hospital somewhere, why stop them?...........

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Get the damned government out of the way and consumers are better served, have greater choice, better supply, and lower prices.

Whoever would have thought that? (just kidding)

[Maine Mariner]

My memory may be somewhat clouded but I remember the debate about hospital construction in the late 1960s and 1970s.

At first there was concern that we did not have enought hospitals to support a growing population, so there was federal financial incentives to construct more hospitals.
Then federal bureacrats and others noticed that there was an over supply of hospitals and from that came requirements for a “certificate of need” to build one.

I am not sure about the hospitals but usually existing businesses have a tremendous amount of influence about the “need” for new competition.

[Red Badger]

Every business, personal or public, when it attains a certain size, will use its financial muscle to limit competition through the electoral legislative process................

[upchuck]

'bout damned time!

South Carolina Ping   

Please ping me if you see an article that would be of interest to fellow SC FReepers.

If you'd like to be on or off the South Carolina ping list, just click Private Reply below and drop me a FReepmail.

[Maine Mariner]

Adam Smith made that same observation in his book “The Wealth of Nations,” published in 1776.

[Red Badger]

GMTA....................

[Maine Mariner]

Indeed!