Doctors sounded the alarm after Thanksgiving: COVID, flu and RSV cases continue to climb, creating a triple threat pushing many hospitals to capacity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls it a “perfect storm for a terrible holiday season.”
One Boston hospital reports doctors caring for patients in the hallways of emergency departments. A mother in Silver Spring, Maryland, says her 6-year-old son had to wait a week for access to an intensive care unit after he was hospitalized with RSV. Similar stories have emerged in Michigan, New Jersey and elsewhere.
What public officials rarely mention is that all of these states, and most others, intentionally limit hospital bed supply. Before health care providers can enter a market, add a wing to an existing facility or reallocate space, they must get a government permission slip called a “certificate of need” (CON). Overall, 38 states and Washington, D.C., impose some type of CON requirement.
The approval process is cumbersome, often adding months and tens of thousands of dollars to urgent projects. Sometimes the government’s final answer is no, meaning private investors cannot spend their own money to expand medical services. Patients must settle for less.
The regulations might make sense if they helped keep people safe, but CON mandates have no medical purpose. Different government groups already license doctors and nurses, approve drugs, test medical devices and set standards of care.
www.wnd.com/2022/12/states-limiting-access-hospital-beds-even-covid-rsv-flu-rage/