There is an effort coming together to reform a corner of state government that is gatekeeper to health care provider expansion in the upcoming legislative session.
Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, was chairman of a hearing Monday that highlighted how a bill aimed to reform the certificate of need program, administered by the Health Services and Development Agency, will bring out vocal, and often divergent, opinions on costs, quality and health care economics from policymakers, health care officials and free market advocates.
The 9 a.m. hearing touched on topics nearly as wide ranging as the scope of the industry itself, including telemedicine, a 1980 decision to remove home health from the state's CON program, as well as the subsequent decision to re-regulate it, burn units, hospital waiting rooms and insurance negotiations with health care providers.
Read more from our news partner at the Tennessean.