I have heard opinions, rumors, and such over the past several months. Today's news adds another wrinkle into Piedmont's plan to stop the green giant, or at least to keep quality healthcare out of York County.
...last week, Gov. Nikki Haley vetoed – and the House sustained – the $1.7 million DHEC spends to enforce the state’s certificate of need law. On Friday, DHEC director Catherine Templeton – who was once on the governor’s short list to replace former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint – officially suspended the program, telling hospitals and nursing homes they could do whatever they want. In a letter, Templeton promised not to penalize health care providers who expand while the program is suspended “unless instructed otherwise by the General Assembly.”
That letter has caused confusion among some of the state’s largest health care providers who are locked in expensive disputes over various pending projects.
This ruling could eliminate the need for the CON and halt all legal challenges associated with the CON.Here is a roadmap for how things were projected to flow. If CMC wins the court ruling, PMC will challenge and post a bond as required to cover CMC's court and delay expenses. That bond and subsequent challenge will keep CMC out of York County for a couple years. If PMC still loses, then we might see Tenent sell because they will not survive against CMC.
If the CON is no longer needed, then CMC is allowed to build and PMC and Presby can build too. The big BUT is that PMC could not survive, even with 2 hospitals. The death nail would happen if Presby and CMC both build hospitals, which could happen...but maybe Presby would look at PMC as soon having a fire sale and then buy that facility.
This all is speculation, of course. If the CON is really dead, then expect quick action by CMC to start building.
Related Article: http://www.thestate.com/2013/07/01/2843588/dhec-asks-state-supreme-court.html
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