Tennessee Relaxes Certificate Of Need Rules For Rural Hospitals & Other Facilities

The Tennessee Health Facilities Commission is implementing a new law that relaxes the state’s Certificate of Need (CON) rules to exempt some health care settings from the need to obtain a CON. The exemptions include rural hospitals, imaging, and institutional habilitation settings for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). The changes go into effect between July 2025 and December 2029.

Starting July 1, 2025, hospitals will not be required to obtain a CON before establishing a satellite emergency department at a location within 10 miles of the hospital’s main campus, but also 10 or more miles distant . . .