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Certificate of Need Laws and Health Care Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Agnitra Roy Choudhury

    (Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA)

  • Sriparna Ghosh

    (Business & Economics, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA)

  • Alicia Plemmons

    (Department of Economics & Finance, School of Business, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62025, USA)

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of state-level Certificate-of-Need (CON) laws on COVID and non-COVID deaths in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. CON laws limit the expansion and acquisition of new medical services, such as new hospital beds. The coronavirus pandemic created a surge in demand for medical services, which might be exacerbated in some states that have CON laws. Our investigation focuses on mortality due to COVID and non-COVID reasons and understanding how these laws affect access to healthcare for illnesses that might require similar medical equipment to COVID patients. We find that states with high healthcare use due to COVID that reformed their CON laws during the pandemic had a reduction in mortality resulting from COVID-19, septicemia, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory disease, influenza or pneumonia, and Alzheimer’s Disease, relative to non-reforming CON states.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnitra Roy Choudhury & Sriparna Ghosh & Alicia Plemmons, 2022. "Certificate of Need Laws and Health Care Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:15:y:2022:i:2:p:76-:d:748295
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stratmann, Thomas & Baker, Matthew, 2016. "Are Certificate-of-Need Laws Barriers to Entry? How They Affect Access to MRI, CT, and PET Scans," Working Papers 06892, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    2. Vivian Ho, 2006. "Does certificate of need affect cardiac outcomes and costs?," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 6(4), pages 300-324, December.
    3. Mitchell, Matt, 2016. "Do Certificate-of-Need Laws Limit Spending?," Working Papers 07021, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    4. Stratmann, Thomas & Wille, David, 2016. "Certificate-of-Need Laws and Hospital Quality," Working Papers 06927, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    5. Molly S. Myers & Kathleen M. Sheehan, 2020. "The Impact of Certificate of Need Laws on Emergency Department Wait Times," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 35(Spring 20), pages 59-75.
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