Do Florida hospitals still need a CON?

General acute-care hospitals were largely deregulated in 2019, but certain tertiary services, hospice programs, and nursing home beds remain subject to CON review. [VERIFY.]

How are competing Florida applications decided?

When multiple applicants file in the same batch for a limited need pool, AHCA's initial decision can be challenged and heard as a comparative review before an Administrative Law Judge under Chapter 120. [VERIFY.]

CON · Florida

Certificate of Need Consultant in Florida

Florida's CON landscape changed dramatically with the 2019 reforms that deregulated hospitals for most purposes while preserving CON for tertiary services, hospices, and nursing home beds. What remains regulated is fought hard — Florida contested cases are among the most sophisticated in the country.

The Florida program

Reviewing agency: Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).

What's reviewable: General hospitals, tertiary services, hospices, nursing home beds, and specialty categories retained after Florida's 2019 CON reform. Ambulatory surgery and many other services are no longer CON-reviewable. [VERIFY current statute.]

Typical timeline: Batch cycles publish fixed application, comment, and decision dates. Contested administrative proceedings under Chapter 120 commonly extend a case 12–24 months. [VERIFY.]

The Agency for Health Care Administration publishes fixed-need pools by district and batch cycle. Filings must respond to statutory review criteria and, where competitors file, must survive a comparative review before an Administrative Law Judge. PDA's role often spans need methodology, financial forecasts, and expert testimony.

PDA in Florida

We have prepared Florida applications and provided expert analysis in nursing home, hospice, and specialty-service cases, including comparative reviews at the Division of Administrative Hearings.

Florida CON frequently asked questions

Do Florida hospitals still need a CON?: General acute-care hospitals were largely deregulated in 2019, but certain tertiary services, hospice programs, and nursing home beds remain subject to CON review. [VERIFY.]
How are competing Florida applications decided?: When multiple applicants file in the same batch for a limited need pool, AHCA's initial decision can be challenged and heard as a comparative review before an Administrative Law Judge under Chapter 120. [VERIFY.]

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