House approves overhaul of rules to build, expand hospitals

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House has given key approval to a bill overhauling rules for building and expanding hospitals and other medical facilities.

House members voted 103-1 on Wednesday to eliminate the Certificate of Need program in 2018, two years earlier than proposed in a committee.

The bill allows hospitals, medical centers and nursing homes to add beds within a mile of their facility. It also allows hospitals to expand services that are already approved under the program and removes the need to seek permission to buy costly equipment.

Gov. Nikki Haley tried to end the program in 2013 when she vetoed funding for it. But the state Supreme Court ruled it must continue because lawmakers didn’t kill the program.

The Senate has not discussed the bill.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP