Certificate of Need (CON) for cardiac care: controversy over the contributions of CON.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To test whether state Certificate of Need (CON) regulations influence procedural mortality or the provision of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

Data sources

Medicare inpatient claims obtained for 1989-2002 for patients age 65+ who received CABG or PCI.

Study design

We used differences-in-differences regression analysis to compare states that dropped CON during the sample period with states that kept the regulations. We examined procedural mortality, the number of hospitals in the state performing CABG or PCI, mean hospital volume, and statewide procedure volume for CABG and PCI.

Principal findings

States that dropped CON experienced lower CABG mortality rates relative to states that kept CON,

SUBMITTER: Ho V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2677050 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature