Certification-of-need: The Massachusetts experience.
Massachusetts, like 22 other states, regulates its health-care industry in part through a certification and changes in service. As a basis for assessing the program's impact, data from the first 19 months are aggregated. A total of 209 determinations were made during the period, 21 involving beds in general hospitals, and 107 beds in long-term-care facilities. They apparently forestalled the addition of 478 beds in the general-hospital sector and of 1885 long term-care beds. Most of the 40 "facility-improvement" and 35 of 37 clinic proposals were approved. Fifteen determinations were appealed. Hindrances to assessment certification-of-need are formidable. As a consumer-oriented regulatory tool, it is valuable though limited since it can only react to proposals and can neither initiate nor provide positive incentives for new programs.
D000208:Acute Disease; D003256:Community Participation; D003255:Consumer Organizations; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006275:Health Facility Planning; D006276:Health Facility Size; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D007902:Length of Stay; D008004:Licensure; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008404:Massachusetts; D009735:Nursing Homes; D012040:Regional Health Planning