Outdated Certificate-of-Need laws let competitors block new clinics and hospitals. Repealing them lowers costs and expands access.
Mississippi runs one of America's most restrictive Certificate-of-Need (CON) regimes — needing government permission across 19 categories of care, often handing competitors a veto. It keeps prices high and leaves all 82 counties medically underserved. CON laws add about $400 a year per person with no gain in quality.
MCPP has made the research case for CON reform for years — and HB 1622, signed by Governor Tate Reeves on March 23, 2026, marked the state's first real step. It exempts small rural and Delta hospitals, authorizes up to eight new dialysis facilities, and makes incumbents who lose a challenge pay the legal costs.
The first real loosening of CON in decades — and the roadmap to full repeal.
