Radiation therapy center moratorium debated

Competing bills related to a moratorium on construction of new radiation therapy centers in 14 Minnesota counties were heard by the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee.

The committee approved HF383, sponsored by Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake), which would extend the moratorium to Aug. 1, 2017. The current sunset date for the moratorium is Aug. 1, 2014. The moratorium was enacted during in 2007 in an effort to protect metropolitan hospitals from competition posed by health care organizations who want to build free-standing outpatient radiation therapy centers.

The bill would exempt plans that HealthEast Care System has in the works to relocate a radiation therapy machine from its Maplewood hospital to its Woodbury hospital.

The bill now moves to the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee. Its companion, SF248, sponsored by Senate President Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville), awaits action by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

While the committee approved the extension of the moratorium, it also heard testimony on HF595, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo Township), which would repeal the moratorium altogether. The bill was laid over for possible omnibus bill inclusion. Its companion, SF709, sponsored by Rep. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), awaits action by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Moratorium supporters say it levels the playing field for hospitals that are mandated by the state to provide many other forms of care and treatment that, unlike radiation therapy, don’t generate revenue. Opponents, including Minnesota Oncology which wants to build a radiation therapy center in Woodbury, say it stifles the free market.

Rep. Duane Quam (R-Byron) informally proposed a compromise for the competing bills that he said would keep the moratorium but allow freestanding facilities outside of a certain distance from hospitals. Both Hamilton and Anderson said they were open to discussing such a provision.