Maine hospitals are eager to build

Sunday, May 9, 2004

Associated Press

BANGOR — Two days after a yearlong moratorium on hospital expansions ended, Maine hospitals have notified state officials that they have more than $162 million in anticipated projects. Gov. John Baldacci a year ago announced his intention to overhaul Maine's health care system. He then placed a one-year moratorium on non-emergency expansions of medical facilities until a plan spelling out where they are needed was developed.

The moratorium has now expired, but the state health plan has yet to be produced.

Hospitals now have a year's worth of pent-up projects, according to Mary Mayhew of the Maine Hospital Association. The most pressing need, she says, is for construction and renovation projects, mostly in southern Maine.

"After a whole year of the state saying no to all projects, we'll be seeing a number of proposals submitted," Mayhew said.

The moratorium was designed to give the state time to determine where health care facilities were needed to provide an equitable and affordable distribution of health care services.

The state's Certificate of Need Office, which reviews costly health care projects, would then evaluate applications to determine compliance with the plan.

Critics say the certificate of need process has historically been too lenient, leading to a surplus of services in some areas of the state and a lack of services in other regions.

Brian Rines, chairman of the Advisory Council on Health Systems Development, an arm of the governor's Dirigo reform plan, says the state isn't close to having a plan in hand. But now that the Legislature has adjourned for the summer, he says his group will work to come up with a plan, estimating that it may take several months to accomplish.

He says the first decision is whether to extend or reinstate the moratorium. The advisory group will consider the issue at its next meeting Tuesday.

The Maine Hospital Association will oppose extending the moratorium.

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