The Certificate of Need Regulations (R.61-15) will become effective on May 25, 2012. Even though the regulations clock out on May 11, they will become effective upon being published in the May State Register. Additional information can be found on the CON regulatory web page, to include a summary of the revisions. Please contact us at 803-545-4200 if you have any questions.
South Carolina is one of more than 35 states that use an analytical process called a Certificate of Need (CON) review to:
- Help contain healthcare costs
- Prevent unnecessary duplication of health care facilities and services, which can drive up costs
- Guide the establishment of the health facilities and services that will best serve all state citizens, including rural and middle and low-income residents
- Ensure high quality services are provided in our healthcare facilities.
As the name implies, the purpose of South Carolina’s Certificate of Need process is to evaluate whether a proposed service or facility is actually needed. Our CON regulations require healthcare facilities to get DHEC’s approval before making expensive changes or adding services. For example, healthcare providers must obtain CON approval before they:
- Build new healthcare facilities (such as a hospital, nursing home or surgery center)
- Spend more than $2 million to improve or expand a healthcare facility
- Buy a new piece of medical equipment that will have total project costs of more than $600,000
- Offer a new service (such as cardiac catheterization or radiotherapy) or substantially expand an existing service)
- Add beds to increase patient capacity.
For questions regarding the Certificate of Need process and program, please contact us at (803) 545-4200.