A moratorium in the 14-county metropolitan area on the construction of radiation therapy facilities that are not owned or operated by a hospital will expire Aug. 1, 2014; but those wishing to construct a facility must meet a new set of criteria.
A new law sponsored by Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake) and Senate President Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville) will require proposed facilities to be built at least seven miles from an existing radiation therapy facility and be under common control with a hospital.
Effective July 1, 2012, a physician within the 14-county area who refers patients to a facility must give the patient a list of all radiation therapy locations within the 14-county area. Physicians with a financial interest in a radiation therapy facility must disclose that to the patient.
The law is needed, said proponents, because physicians were referring patients to locations that they had a financial interest in and that caused financial loss for hospitals.
The law also appropriates $137,000 in fiscal year 2013 from the health care access fund for a study of the needs capacity for radiation therapy locations. Results of the study are due to the Legislature by March 15, 2013.
The law also allows HealthEast to move existing radiation therapy equipment from its Maplewood location to its Woodbury location.
HF383/
SF248*/CH217
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