A new study released by the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) shows a majority of Republican voters in Tennessee oppose Certificate of Need (CON) laws.
CON laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, are defined as “state regulatory mechanisms for approving major capital expenditures and projects for certain health care facilities.”
Other entities have defined CON laws as “government permission slips” or, as defined by CFIF, “government red tape obstructing access to healthcare.”
The new study by CFIF conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows 56 percent of Tennessee Republican voters believe access to medical care where they live is a problem while 74 percent believe there needs to be less government regulation in healthcare.
In addition, after hearing statements supporting and opposing CON laws, 65 percent of the state’s GOP voters support the Tennessee General Assembly repealing the state’s remaining CON laws.
“Tennesseans across the state support a full repeal of Tennessee’s CON laws to ensure increased access to high-quality, affordable care and more choices for patients,” the study concluded. “Republicans have concerns about access to care, overwhelmingly believe there should be less government in healthcare and are primed to want CON repealed once they learn more about it. Nearly one-half oppose the CON law after hearing a neutral description with that number soaring to 65% once voters hear an “elevator pitch” from both sides. Additionally, opposition to CON is only likely to grow over time since stronger ideological conservatives, which represent the base of the GOP primary electorate, are more opposed to it.”
CFIF President Jeff Mazzella said CON laws “continue to limit access to affordable, high-quality care and restrict patient choice in the Volunteer State.”
“The red tape and bureaucracy inherent within the CON approval process slows down the already lengthy process of building hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure, contributing to long wait times being endured by Tennessee patients. That is only going to worsen as the state’s population continues to grow. It’s no surprise that Tennessee voters overwhelmingly support repealing the state’s remaining CON laws the more they learn about them,” Mazzella said in an emailed statement. “The bottom line is that Tennesseans from Memphis to Mountain City support the repeal of Tennessee’s remaining CON laws to ensure increased access to affordable, high-quality care.”
Mazzella added that CFIF “stands with the overwhelming majority of Tennessee voters who believe there needs to be less government regulation in healthcare,” and urged the General Assembly to introduce appropriate legislation this year to repeal all remaining CON laws.
Last year, a report published by the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee found that there would be 63 more hospitals in the state (including 25 more in rural areas), fewer deaths from postsurgical complications, and $223 in savings for residents per year in healthcare costs if Tennessee repealed all CON laws.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
