State Senator Rob Schaaf says one of the best things Missouri could do for economic development would be to allow more competition in healthcare.

That’s one reason the Saint Joseph Republican says he’ll try again to eliminate the Certificate of Need process, which requires healthcare providers to prove a need for additional services before competing with an existing provider.

The Missouri Hospital Association says the Certificate of Need process holds down healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary duplication of expensive services. Schaaf says the exact opposite occurs: costs go up because competition is prevented.