Legislation introduced by state Senator Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, aimed at reducing regulations for health care providers seeking access to critical medical equipment, was effectively defeated in a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.
The bill, SB 910, proposed a phased elimination of the certificate of public need (COPN) requirement for smaller, rural health care providers looking to acquire machinery for MRI, PET, and CT scans, as well as radiation therapy equipment.
The current COPN system requires health care providers to demonstrate public need before obtaining such equipment or expanding services, a process that includes multiple economic and feasibility evaluations by state officials.
During a passionate presentation to the Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Health, Stanley criticized the COPN program as outdated and burdensome.
“It’s an old, antiquated system that has to change,” Stanley said, arguing that the bill would improve access to care in rural areas, foster competition in the health care sector, and encourage modernization.
He emphasized that residents in rural and underserved areas often face significant barriers, including long travel times, to receive essential medical services.
The bill faced strong opposition from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA). Brent Rawlings, VHHA’s senior vice president, argued that while COPN reform is needed, full deregulation could worsen access issues rather than solve them.
“The reality is that eliminating COPN will not fix that; in fact, we think it will have the opposite effect,” Rawlings said during the hearing.
He pointed to past attempts at similar legislation, noting that phased deregulation bills have been consistently rejected by the General Assembly over the years.
Rawlings also expressed concern that removing the COPN requirement could destabilize health care infrastructure by making it difficult to ensure that new facilities and equipment are equitably distributed across regions.
In a 4-1 vote, the subcommittee declined to advance SB 910 to the full committee, effectively shelving the legislation for the session.
Before the session began, Stanley underscored the challenges faced by rural residents in Southwest and Southside Virginia, where hospitals are sparse and medical procedures often require extensive travel.
“This bill was an effort to remedy that,” Stanley said.
While the legislation failed to progress, the debate highlighted ongoing concerns about health care access and the need for reform in the COPN system.
Rawlings noted that efforts to improve the current process are already underway, though details on potential reforms were not discussed in the hearing.
The issue of health care access in rural Virginia remains a pressing topic, with advocates on both sides acknowledging the need for innovative solutions to bridge the gap for underserved populations.