Certificate-of-Need Laws
Certificate-of-need (CON) laws require healthcare providers to seek permission from state regulators before they offer new services, expand facilities, or invest in technology. While the original hope was that CON laws would restrain healthcare costs, increase healthcare quality, and improve access to care for poor and underserved communities, a large body of academic research suggests that CON laws have instead limited access, degraded quality, and increased cost.
Despite this poor track record, CON laws remain in most states, keeping millions of Americans from getting the care they need.
Latest work in Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
Certificate of Needs Laws in Health Care: Lessons from Research
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Let’s Fix the Laws Around Hospital Capacity Before the Next Health Crisis
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Raising the Bar: ICU Beds and Certificates of Need
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
A Fresh Start: How to Address Regulations Suspended during the Coronavirus Crisis
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How More States Can Free up Emergency Health Care
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
First, Do No Harm: Three Ways That Policymakers Can Make It Easier for Healthcare Professionals to Do Their Jobs
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Now is the Time to Eliminate Certificate-of-Need Laws that Limit Hospital Resources and Space for Patients
Hospital staff, not state administrators, should decide how many beds a facility needs.
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Phasing Out Certificate-of-Need Laws: A Menu of Options
While full repeal is best, policymakers have several options for reforming CON laws
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Tennessee's Certificate-of-Need Program: Lessons from Research
Testimony before the Tennessee Certificate-of-Need Working Group
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Alaska's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Alaska Senate Health and Social Services Committee
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Better Health for More People at Lower Cost, Year after Year: Greatest Opportunities to Improve America’s Unbroken, but Underperforming Healthcare System
Submitted to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Florida's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Florida House of Representatives, Health Market Reform Subcommittee
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
POLICY SPOTLIGHT: Increasing Access to Quality, Lower-Cost Healthcare in Vermont
A Policy Recommendation
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
The Failure of Georgia’s Certificate-Of-Need Laws
Testimony before the Georgia House of Representatives Rural Development Council
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Certificate-of-Public-Need Law: A Comparison with Other States
Testimony before the Virginia House of Delegates; Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Certificate-Of-Need Laws 2017: How CON Laws Affect Spending, Access, and Quality across the States
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Effect of Interest Group Pressure on Favorable Regulatory Decisions
The Case of Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Barriers to Entry in the Healthcare Markets
Winners and Losers from Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Illinois’s Certificate-of-Need Laws: Effects on Quality, Spending, and Access to Care
Latest work in Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Mercatus Original Video Mercatus Original Video
Certificate of Needs Laws in Health Care: Lessons from Research
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Let’s Fix the Laws Around Hospital Capacity Before the Next Health Crisis
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Raising the Bar: ICU Beds and Certificates of Need
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
A Fresh Start: How to Address Regulations Suspended during the Coronavirus Crisis
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
How More States Can Free up Emergency Health Care
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
First, Do No Harm: Three Ways That Policymakers Can Make It Easier for Healthcare Professionals to Do Their Jobs
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Expert Commentary Expert Commentary
Now is the Time to Eliminate Certificate-of-Need Laws that Limit Hospital Resources and Space for Patients
Hospital staff, not state administrators, should decide how many beds a facility needs.
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Phasing Out Certificate-of-Need Laws: A Menu of Options
While full repeal is best, policymakers have several options for reforming CON laws
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Tennessee's Certificate-of-Need Program: Lessons from Research
Testimony before the Tennessee Certificate-of-Need Working Group
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Alaska's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Alaska Senate Health and Social Services Committee
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Federal Testimonies Federal Testimonies
Better Health for More People at Lower Cost, Year after Year: Greatest Opportunities to Improve America’s Unbroken, but Underperforming Healthcare System
Submitted to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Florida's CON Law: Lessons from Three Decades of Research
Testimony before the Florida House of Representatives, Health Market Reform Subcommittee
- | Healthcare Healthcare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
POLICY SPOTLIGHT: Increasing Access to Quality, Lower-Cost Healthcare in Vermont
A Policy Recommendation
- | Housing Housing
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
The Failure of Georgia’s Certificate-Of-Need Laws
Testimony before the Georgia House of Representatives Rural Development Council
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | State Testimonies State Testimonies
Virginia’s Certificate-of-Public-Need Law: A Comparison with Other States
Testimony before the Virginia House of Delegates; Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs
Certificate-Of-Need Laws 2017: How CON Laws Affect Spending, Access, and Quality across the States
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
The Effect of Interest Group Pressure on Favorable Regulatory Decisions
The Case of Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Working Papers Working Papers
Barriers to Entry in the Healthcare Markets
Winners and Losers from Certificate-of-Need Laws
- | Academic & Student Programs Academic & Student Programs
- | Corporate Welfare Corporate Welfare
- | Policy Briefs Policy Briefs