Bill > SB1268

This bill modifies Missouri's Certificate of Need (CON) program, which regulates the development of new healthcare facilities and services. The bill updates definitions and provisions related to obtaining certificates of need, including expanding the definition of "health care facilities" to explicitly include facilities licensed under chapter 198, long-term care beds in hospitals, and long-term care hospitals. Key changes include modifying the expenditure minimums for capital projects, removing references to major medical equipment, and adjusting the process for obtaining certificates of need. The bill reduces some regulatory barriers by eliminating certain requirements, such as no longer considering facilities outside a 15-mile radius when evaluating a CON application, and allowing ownership transfers of existing healthcare facilities without requiring a new certificate. The bill also clarifies that CON applications cannot be denied if an applicant refuses to provide abortion services, and allows for partial certificates of need that may provide less than the originally requested services. Additionally, the bill updates terminology, removes some previous exemptions for equipment and research, and ensures that health services corporations provide benefits to ambulatory surgical centers on the same basis as other healthcare facilities. The overall aim appears to be streamlining the certificate of need process while maintaining oversight of healthcare facility development.

Health and Social Services

https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=392