Certificate of Need faces tough fight in SC Legislature

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The fight to overhaul regulations for building and expanding hospitals and other medical facilities in South Carolina has been so combative that lawmakers may not resolve the issue this year.

The House Ways and Means Committee this week approved a bill that changes the Certificate of Need program and eliminates it entirely in 2020. The proposal is the work of a panel of lawmakers that held meetings over the past six months.

The bill allows hospitals and other medical facilities to add beds, expand existing programs and buy expensive equipment without needing permission.

The bill goes to the full House, where another fight over possible changes is expected. The proposal’s outlook is even less certain in the Senate, which hasn’t discussed the issue.

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