Summary
Indiana State Senator Ed Charbonneau, who co-authored a 2021 law allowing hospital monopolies, is now proposing its repeal.
The law, known as a “Certificate of Public Advantage” (COPA), has faced criticism from the public and the FTC, who argue it harms patients by reducing competition.
COPA laws, present in 19 states, enable hospital mergers often deemed anticompetitive by the FTC.
Critics, including the FTC, argue such laws harm patients and fail to replace market competition.
If repealed, Indiana would join five other states in rolling back COPAs, potentially blocking future hospital consolidations in the state.
Maybe they realized there’s no point holding out for
bribe moneycampaign funding from a healthcare CEO whomay be deadmay have aligned their leadership with the public good by next election cycle anyway.
