Certificate-of-need (CON) laws require healthcare providers to obtain permission before they open or expand their services or purchase certain devices or new technologies. CON applicants must prove that the community needs the new or expanded service, and existing providers are invited to challenge would-be competitors’ applications. CON laws have persisted in spite of mounting evidence from health economists, regulatory economists, and antitrust lawyers showing that these laws fail to achieve their intended goals.

Indiana recently began requiring a CON for nursing home beds, but because the program is relatively new, we do not offer any predictions about healthcare cost, quality, or access in the absence of this regulation.

This profile highlights Indiana’s CON law.