The General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7050 seeks to amend the Certificate of Need (CON) program by updating key regulations and definitions concerning health care facilities. Notable changes include replacing the term "Office" with "Commissioner" of Health Strategy, empowering the Commissioner to adopt regulations and implement policies for the CON program. The bill mandates public hearings before policy implementation to enhance transparency and community engagement. Additionally, it clarifies the definition of "termination of services" to indicate it refers to a total of more than 180 days within any two-year period or a continuous period of 30 days or more.

Further amendments introduce new definitions related to hospital ownership transfers and the conditions under which a CON is required for acquiring specific medical equipment, such as proton radiotherapy machines. The bill emphasizes maintaining community access to quality health care following ownership transfers and establishes guidelines for evaluating CON applications, particularly those involving ownership changes. It also proposes an expedited review process for CON applications addressing significant unmet needs, with decisions required within thirty days. Financial aspects of the review process are modified by increasing the maximum billing for independent economic analysis from $200,000 to $300,000 per application, while repealing a subsection related to independent consultants in the cost and market impact review. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the CON process while ensuring equitable access to health care services.

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