Peach Tree Times

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones actively champions the growing movement seeking to abolish the Certificate of Need Program for healthcare facilities in Georgia.

"This is why we're fighting to end CON in rural Georgia and deliver healthcare to rural families who far too often have no options," Jones said on Twitter.

He was responding to an Axios story with the headline, "Rural Georgia is not OK."

According to the story, rural Georgians have less access to health care and have to travel further for treatment "which can mean life or death."

Jones along with organizations like Americans for Prosperity, is calling on state lawmakers to abolish the Certificate of Need (CON) program. While 35 states and D.C. still have the CON program in place, as of 2022, 12 states have either fully repealed or allowed the program to expire, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Implemented in the late 1970s in Georgia, the Certificate of Need law aimed to reduce healthcare expenses, ensure access to healthcare services, particularly in rural areas and prevent unnecessary duplication of services. However, critics argue that CON actually hinders access to care and works counter to its intended goals, according to Americans for Prosperity.

"Right now, state bureaucrats are middlemen, determining whether your town can get a new hospital or if your doctor can order a new X-ray machine," Americans for Prosperity Deputy State Director Tony West said in a statement, according to The Center Square. "Burdensome certificate-of-need laws are to blame. These laws force providers to get a government permission slip to open a new office or offer a new service."

Research shows that "Certificate of Need laws tend to harm the very people they’re supposed to protect," Americans for Prosperity said. "At worst, these laws drive up prices, limit access to quality care, and put lives on the line."