Bill > HB0819

This bill amends Tennessee law to remove the requirement for acute care hospitals to obtain a certificate of need, which is a state-level approval process for establishing or expanding healthcare facilities, starting July 1, 2030. An "acute care hospital" is defined as a hospital primarily treating patients with an average stay of 25 days or less. The bill also makes changes related to satellite emergency departments and cardiac catheterization services, requiring facilities providing these services to be licensed as outpatient departments of a hospital, with an exception for existing cardiac catheterization facilities. Additionally, it mandates that acute care hospitals licensed on or after July 1, 2030, must participate in the TennCare program and provide charity care comparable to similar hospitals, with a report on payor mix to be compiled by January 1, 2031.