A Tarrance Group poll conducted for RetireSafe (press release [1]) shows that a majority of Virginians believe the current Certificate of Public Need (COPN) regime has “gone too far” in regulating health care in the Commonwealth.
To be precise, Virginians were asked this from Tarrance [2].
Now, as you may know, any Virginia healthcare provider that wants to make a major investment, like purchasing a new CAT scan machine or making more hospital beds available to treat patients overnight, must first receive approval from the Virginia Health Commissioner. Virginia requires regulators to determine if a hospital’s proposed investment is needed in that community or not, and grant what is called a “Certificate of Public Need.” Based on what you know– Do you think these regulations generally go too far, or do not go far enough?
In response, 59% of Virginians polled said this goes too far – and very rightly so if you [3] ask me [4].
Moreover, 56% support phasing out the system.
Lest we forget, we’re talking about a regulation regime so detrimental to health care that even the Obama Administratio [5]n believes it should be scaled back or scrapped.
Last year, the House of Delegates agreed, and passed a bill that would have scaled COPN back. It died in the State Senate, but Delegate Peter Farrell has already prefiled a bill to try again (HB1420 [6]).
Let’s hope Richmond follows the people’s lead.