Changes

'''Certificate of Need''' (CON) is a [[state]] regulation requiring health practitioners to obtain prior approval from state regulators before offering certain medical equipment, such as MRIs and CT scanners, for use by patients.  Certificates of Need are a relic of the Nixon era, being first introduced into Federal law with the passage of the 1974 ''National Health Planning and Resources Development Act''.

'''Certificate of Need''' (CON) is a [[state]] regulation requiring health practitioners to obtain prior approval from state regulators before offering certain medical equipment, such as MRIs and CT scanners, for use by patients.  Certificates of Need are a relic of the Nixon era, being first introduced into Federal law with the passage of the 1974 ''National Health Planning and Resources Development Act''.<ref>[https://www.justice.gov/atr/competition-health-care-and-certificates-need-joint-statement-antitrust-division-us-department Competition in Health Care and Certificates of Need], "Many CON programs trace their origin to a repealed federal mandate, the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act of 1974, which offered incentives for states to implement CON programs."</ref>

During the 2019-2020 [[Coronavirus|COVID-19]] outbreak, CON laws became the subject of controversy due to their creating an unnecessary shortage of hospital beds.<ref>[https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/488783-americas-hospitals-are-unprepared-for-coronavirus-heres-why-you-should America's hospitals are unprepared for coronavirus — here's why you should blame government]</ref>

During the 2019-2020 [[Coronavirus|COVID-19]] outbreak, CON laws became the subject of controversy due to their creating an unnecessary shortage of hospital beds.<ref>[https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/488783-americas-hospitals-are-unprepared-for-coronavirus-heres-why-you-should America's hospitals are unprepared for coronavirus — here's why you should blame government]</ref>