Senate advances bill to raise certificate-of-need monetary thresholds for health projects

The Vermont Senate on the floor voted to propose to the House amendments to H.96, a bill that raises monetary thresholds that trigger Certificate of Need review for health care projects.

Senator from Orleans (reporting for the Senate Health and Welfare Committee) described the bill as an effort to modernize the CON process, reduce regulatory burdens that slow facility improvements, and encourage community-based investments in primary and specialty care. The bill raises threshold amounts used to determine when a CON is required for hospitals and similar facilities; the committee noted an example increase from $1.5 million to $10 million for certain triggers.

The amendments add exclusions from CON review for fully depreciated medical equipment, ground ambulance services and emergency medical supplies, and projects owned or operated by the state or funded substantially by state contracts or grants (with notice to the Green Mountain Care Board). The bill also allows applicants for projects already in process to continue under the thresholds that existed when they filed, unless an interested party status was not granted, in which case the applicant may withdraw and proceed under new thresholds.

Senator from Chittenden reported for the Senate Committee on Finance that fee implications to the Green Mountain Care Board will be de minimis, noting reduced fee revenue and reduced workload. The Senate voted that it "propose to the house to amend the bill as proposed by the committee on health and welfare" and ordered third reading.

Supporters characterized the change as balancing patient protections with reduced regulatory delay to expand access in community settings. No roll-call tally was recorded in the floor excerpt provided.