Hospital Bed Moratorium

The 2004 Minnesota Legislature passed a law establishing a public interest review process for hospitals seeking exceptions to the state’s hospital bed moratorium law (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 144.552). Under this process, a hospital seeking to increase its number of licensed beds or an organization seeking to obtain a hospital license must submit a plan to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). MDH is required to review the plan and issue a finding on whether the plan is in the public interest.

In conducting its review, the MDH is required to consider certain issues, including the following:

• Whether the new hospital or hospital beds are needed to provide timely access to care or access to new or improved services.
• The financial impact of the new hospital or hospital beds on existing acute-care hospitals that have emergency departments in the region.
• How the new hospital or hospital beds will affect the ability of existing hospitals in the region to maintain existing staff.
• The extent to which the new hospital or hospital beds will provide services to nonpaying or low-income patients relative to the level of services provided to these groups by existing hospitals in the region.
• The views of affected parties.

Under the statute, MDH must issue a finding within 150 days after sending a notice of complete application.

Guidance for Public Interest Review Process, June 2015 (PDF)

Letters of Intent

• Allina Health

Proposals Under Review

• Nobis Rehabilitation Partners
• Regions Hospital
• Regency Hospital/Select Medical

Completed Reviews

• Children's Minnesota
• Fairview Health Services/Acadia Healthcare
• North Shore Health
• PrairieCare Brooklyn Park - Submission filed September 2021
• Regions Hospital - Submission filed November 2017
• Tandem Hospital Partners
• PrairieCare Brooklyn Park - Submission filed August 2016
• PrairieCare Maple Grove
• Sanford Thief River Falls Psychiatric Hospital
• Perham Health Psychiatric Hospital
• Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital

Completed Facility Reviews

• Proposal for a Specialty Psychiatric Hospital in Woodbury, Minn. (PDF)
• Proposal for a New Inpatient Facility in Cass County, Minn. (PDF)
• Fairview Health Services Proposal for a New Inpatient Facility in Maple Grove, Minn. (PDF)
• North Memorial Health Care Proposal for a New Inpatient Facility in Maple Grove, Minn. (PDF)
• Maple Grove Tri-Care Partnership Proposal for a New Inpatient Facility in Maple Grove, Minn. (PDF)