Court Opinion

ID: 9777739
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:22:06.713588+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:00.505307
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
PER CURIAM.
Plaintiff in its motion for rehearing has called to the court’s attention the fact that regional health service agencies (HSA’s) were abolished by executive order of the Missouri governor in 1982. Their functions were assumed by the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA). Plaintiff contends this fact, not previously addressed in the briefs, was overlooked by the court in arriving at its decision and that the reliance of the Court upon HSA’s to protect the public interest is misplaced.
Our references to HSA’s as protectors of the public interest were made in connection with our analysis of the legislative scheme found in the certificate of need law. We concluded that the general assembly elected to provide appeal status from the granting of a certificate of need only to the regional HSA, and elected to deny such status to other persons. Subsequent abolition of the HSA’s by executive order in no way changes the legislative enactment which does not grant to plaintiff a right of appeal. Our decision was not premised upon a determination that if HSA’s could not appeal plaintiff could. The appeal rights of HSA’s were simply a rationale for a legislative determination that no need existed for appeal by persons such as plaintiff. The general public interest is represented by the Committee itself and SHPDA. State ex rel. Rouveyrol v. Donnelly, 285 S.W.2d 669 (Mo. banc 1956). There is no requirement of law of which we are aware that requires appellate review of the Committee grant of a certificate of need except when “private rights” are affected. We have already held that no “private rights” of plaintiff are affected. The absence of HSA’s does not warrant or mandate a judicial substitution of competitors for HSA’s as a source of appellate review. If such review is advisable the legislature is free to so provide. To date it has not done so.
Motions for rehearing and for transfer to the Supreme Court denied.