Southwest Virginia Health Authority; review and approval of proposed cooperative agreements. (HB2316)

Introduced By

Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City) with support from co-patrons Del. Jeff Campbell (R-Marion), Del. Israel O'Quinn (R-Bristol), and Sen. Todd E. Pillion (R-Abingdon)

Description

Southwest Virginia Health Authority; cooperative agreements. Allows the Southwest Virginia Health Authority (the Authority) to review and approve cooperative agreements among two or more hospitals for the sharing, allocation, consolidation by merger or other combination of assets, or referral of patients, personnel, instructional programs, support services, and facilities or medical, diagnostic, or laboratory facilities or procedures or other services traditionally offered by hospitals. The Authority shall approve a cooperative agreement if it determines that the parties to the cooperative agreement have demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the benefits likely to result from the agreement outweigh the disadvantages likely to result from a reduction in competition from the agreement. The bill also provides that activities conducted pursuant to cooperative agreements approved by the Authority and supervised by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources are immunized from challenge or scrutiny under the Commonwealth's antitrust laws.  Furthermore, the City of Bristol is added to the Authority. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History