Bill introduced in Alabama would abolish the Certificate of Need process

A bill has been introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives that would abolish the state's Certificate of Need program. The proposed legislation would do away with the regulatory review process that requires healthcare providers to get state approval before adding new health services. Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, introduced the bill for the second consecutive year, knowing it's not likely to gain much traction. But Ball is frustrated over the regulatory process, which allowed competition between two hospitals over who should be allowed to build a hospital in Madison to drag out for years.