The North Carolina legislature will be back in session in April. For the policymakers that have an appetite to repeal all of North Carolina’s Certificate Of Need (CON) law – one that requires medical providers to seek permission from the state to build or expand an existing facility – here’s some ammo to tackle the recurring sticking point that “CON laws are meant to preserve access to health care services in rural areas.”

A new report released by the Mercatus Center concludes that CON laws do just the opposite:

  • CON Programs Are Associated with Fewer Hospitals  
  • The presence of a CON program is associated with 30 percent fewer hospitals per 100,000 residents across the entire state. 
  • The presence of a CON program is also associated with 30 percent fewer rural hospitals per 100,000 rural residents.