PRINTER'S NO. 3113
No. 252 Session of 1986
INTRODUCED BY BARBER, DORR, SAURMAN, D. W. SNYDER, MILLER,
TRUMAN, FOX, LASHINGER, PISTELLA, HARPER, KUKOVICH, ARTY,
KASUNIC, DAWIDA, STUBAN, CAWLEY, TIGUE, CLYMER, GREENWOOD,
GLADECK, JOSEPHS, HOWLETT AND STABACK, MARCH 12, 1986
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 17, 1986
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 examine the effectiveness, efficiency, structure and further
3 need for the Certificate of Need program as it currently
4 exists in the Commonwealth, and make recommendations.
5 WHEREAS, The Certificate of Need program was established in
6 Pennsylvania by the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known
7 as the Health Care Facilities Act, to comply with Federal law
8 (Public Law 93-649, 88 Stat. 2361); and
9 WHEREAS, The program was intended to provide constraints on
10 health facility capital expenditures through demonstration of
11 need and a formal review process; and
12 WHEREAS, Review of Certificate of Need is performed for the
13 Commonwealth by health system agencies through Federal grant
14 funds; and
15 WHEREAS, Federal funding for health system agencies is
16 scheduled to end September 30, 1986; and
17 WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Certificate of Need program
18 has not undergone major evaluation or change; therefore be it
1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
2 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study of
3 the Certificate of Need program to determine whether the program
4 has been effective in fulfilling its purposes; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That the Committee examine the future role for the
6 Certificate of Need process in view of present health cost
7 containment efforts in the Commonwealth and the possibility of a
8 future Federal mandate which may involve controls of State-
9 administrated Federal health care funds; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the Committee evaluate the relative
11 advantages, if the process is to be maintained, of having the
12 program administered by the Department of Health, by contracting
13 it out to health systems agencies or by other means; and be it
14 further
15 RESOLVED, That the Committee make recommendations with
16 respect to improving the process, if maintained, and whether
17 health systems agencies, if maintained, are a viable vehicle for
18 conducting the Certificate of Need program for the Commonwealth;
19 and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That a report of this study be prepared for the
21 House of Representatives by September 1, 1986.
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