FTC Staff Comment, and Concurring Comment of Commissioner Wright, Regarding North Carolina House Bill 200, Which Would Exempt Diagnostic Centers, Ambulatory Surgical Facilities and Psychiatric Hospitals From Certificate of Need Regulation

FTC staff submitted a comment, in response to a request by North Carolina State Representative Marilyn W. Avila, regarding the possible competitive effects of a legislative proposal to exempt diagnostic centers, ambulatory surgical facilities and psychiatric hospitals in North Carolina from CON laws. The staff comment expressed support for the bill. As the comment explained, CON laws can restrict entry and expansion, limit consumer choice, and stifle innovation. Additionally, the CON process can be exploited by firms to thwart or delay entry by new competitors and can obstruct efforts to restore competition that has been lost to an anticompetitive merger.