Higher-quality, affordable health care is crucial to the well-being of all West Virginians

Everyone has personal experiences with the healthcare system in West Virginia. It can be frustrating. It’s expensive. Needed health care services can be hard to find in rural communities.  Certificate of need (CON) laws are a HUGE reason why this is happening.

Certificate-of-need laws are standing in the way

Did you know the following statistics about Certificate of Need laws?

• First, West Virginia ranks as the 5th most extensively regulated state with these laws
• Second, individual healthcare spending is $232 higher in states with CON laws
• Third, states like WV have 6 fewer rural hospitals and 25.6 fewer total hospitals due to CON
• Fourth, 1,461 fewer MRI machines and 5,524 fewer CT scanners are found in states with CON laws
• Fifth, on average, citizens in states with CON laws must drive further to obtain health care
• Finally, states with CON laws have 14 percent fewer ambulatory surgery centers

Learn More

You can watch our video explaining West Virginia’s CON laws on our YouTube channel.

You can also read content about health care access CON laws on our Cardinal’s Nest blog.

Read the rest of the Hunt Club’s story on AFP-WV’s website.