Senate eases CON rules for cancer care, aiming to expand rural access
Lawmakers passed SB 367 to exempt facilities dedicated primarily to cancer treatment from certain certificate-of-need requirements after extended debate and amendments to carve out some existing rural nonprofit hospitals; sponsors said the change would expand access and reduce wait times in underserved areas. Vote: yeas 32, nays 17.
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Senator Cousert urged colleagues to support SB 367, a measure to exempt health-care facilities dedicated primarily to cancer care from certain certificate-of-need (CON) requirements so that PET scanners, linear accelerators and other specialized equipment can be added more quickly in underserved areas. He recounted committee testimony that rural patients now travel long distances and wait months for scans and argued expanding local capacity would save lives.
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