GA to revamp CON system

Hospital officials in Georgia are debating how best to revamp the state's certificate of need (CON) appeals process. Hospitals often spend millions in legal expenses on CON battles and many feel that the money could be better spent elsewhere--like on patient services. "Those [legal] expenditures haven't helped one person get well," Rep. Austin Scott told the Atlanta Business Journal. Critics of the program say it has also created healthcare monopolies in the state. The eight-member Commission on Efficacy of the Certificate of Need Program is hearing suggestions on what changes need to be made to the program.

For more on Georgia's CON battles:
- read this report from the Atlanta Business Journal