CON repeal is essential

The Maui News
Friday, February 6, 2009

Editorial

There's still a long way to go in the Legislature, but the first steps have been taken toward giving Maui the freedom to develop a new private hospital of the sort Dr. Ron Kwon proposed only to see it killed for lack of a certificate of need.

Under existing law, major medical facilities must obtain a certificate of need from the State Health Planning and Development Agency. The Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui (AIHM) attempted to have the certificate of need, or CON, repealed last year. The group has returned this year with the active support of Maui's three state senators and two of the island's representatives.

Sens. Roz Baker, J. Kalani English and Shan Tsutsui are sponsoring SB1354, which would repeal the CON law and allow private or community-based development of a state-of-the-art hospital on Maui. The identical HB929 was introduced and is supported in the House by Maui Reps. Joe Bertram III and Angus McKelvey, along with Big Island Reps. Robert Herkes and Cindy Evans.

The Senate bill also has the support of Senate President Colleen Hanabusa.

The certificate of need process has proven to be a terminal roadblock for developing hospitals and satellite clinics through private investment or community-based organizations, or a combination of both. There was private money to build the state-of-the-art Malulani Hospital in South Maui but SHPDA refused to grant a certificate of need.

SB1354 and HB929 would allow Maui - and other Neighbor Islands - to build the medical facilities that are needed. As it stands, the future of medical care on Maui is in the hands of state bureaucrats and Oahu legislators keenly aware of what private competition would do to existing state-subsidized, heavily unionized facilities.

Maui is a community that is large enough and mature enough to make its own decisions about its medical needs. Sens. Baker, English and Tsutsui and Reps. Bertram and McKelvey are to be thanked for working to repeal the certificate-of-need process. Their effort needs all the support and encouragement the public can give them.

* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/514552.html

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