Kemp Backs Bid For Certificate-Of-Need Changes, Gets House Panel OK On Waiver Plan

Until now, Gov. Brian Kemp had stayed on the sidelines during the often acrimonious certificate-of-need debate. His administration says White House officials have indicated they would be more receptive to a waiver request on Georgia health insurance rules if the state would take action on CON reforms.

John Amis / Associated Press file

Gov. Brian Kemp has thrown his support behind major reforms of the state health care regulatory system, acting as legislation on the contentious issue was revived in a Senate committee Wednesday.

A House bill to make sweeping changes to the certificate-of-need (CON) system recently failed to pass the House on Crossover Day. That normally means a piece of legislation is dead for the year.

The CON overhaul effort was revived in a hearing Wednesday, when some provisions of the unsuccessful bill were attached to different House legislation, and the new bill was adopted by the Senate Finance Committee.