Mississippi’s Certificate of Need laws get their day in court but are they on lawmakers’ radar for reforms?

Aaron Rice with the Mississippi Justice Institute talks about a recent case challenging the state’s CON laws. Watch the interview.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves handed down a decision in the case of Charles Slaughter vs. Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi State Health Officer, that allowed the challenge to Mississippi’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws to move forward.

Aaron Rice, Director of the Mississippi Justice Institute, represents the plaintiff in the case. He joined Y’all Politics on Wednesday to discuss CON laws, which act essentially as a “competitor’s veto,” and to explain the case brought before Judge Reeves.

Over the years, lawmakers have attempted to roll back the CON laws in Mississippi but have largely been unsuccessful given the strong lobby by those already in the health care industry in the state. However, given that the pandemic has further exposed the lack of accessible, quality care in Mississippi, especially in the more rural areas, some lawmakers see a need for a renewed push to enact reforms and provide better competition in the health care marketplace.

Watch the full interview with Rice below.