From the Medical Society of Virginia:

Legislative Update 3.4.16
4 March 2016

The debate on Certificate of Public Need (COPN) reform continues to move along, as the Senate Education and Health Committee took votes on the two COPN reform bills remaining – HB 193 and HB 350.

After hearing testimony from all sides, the COPN subcommittee worked on developing amended language to tackle some, but not all, of the proposed reforms. As their template, they used HB 350, which was Del. Kathy Byron’s (R-Bedford) bill that initially tackled a variety of COPN process changes, as well as exempting a handful of services from COPN, including mental health beds. The subcommittee’s amended language puts mental health back into the COPN process, but will instead remove imaging services and place them into the permitting process previously suggested in HB 193, sponsored by Del. John O’Bannon, M.D. (R-Henrico). The bill also places lithotripsy, nuclear imaging and magnetic source imaging into the new permitting process. To receive a permit, the applicant would have to meet the principles previously supported by the MSV – equipment registration and inspection, charity care requirements, and standards of quality, safety and accreditation. The subcommittee then voted to report the amended bill to the Senate floor for a vote. HB 193, which was the more substantial reform bill, was carried over until 2017. Please watch for legislative action alerts from MSV asking you to contact your Senator about HB 350 in the next few days.