Florida may eliminate certificate of need requirement for new hospitals

A bill now before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis includes a repeal of the certificate of need (CON) requirement for new hospital construction.

If the governor signs the bill, the new law would eliminate the CON requirement for new general acute care or long-term acute care hospitals effective July 1. The rule would also apply to hospitals that want to establish a tertiary care service such as comprehensive rehabilitation or neonatal intensive care units.

The lifting of the CON requirement would also apply to specialized facilities such as children’s and women’s hospitals; specialty medical, rehabilitation, and psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals; and residential treatment facilities for children. The restriction for those facilities would be eliminated July 1, 2021.

Doing away with the lengthy CON process, which is common in most states, should lead to more and faster development of hospital projects in Florida.