
The CON
laws were enacted before publicly held for-profit hospitals were common place. I believe they assumed the facilities were non-profit and would pass on their savings to the consumer.
Hospitals in CON
states have one of the few state sanctioned
monopolies found in US industry and there is no oversight of charges.
Power
companies have monopolies but their charges must be approved by the Public Service Commission.
Kentucky has 14 For-Profit Acute Care Hospitals. All but two are the only acute care hospital providers in their counties, after
the sale of Good Samaritan to UK.