Influence of federal and state regulations on the acquisition and operation by hospitals of magnetic resonance imaging scanners.

The article introduces key health planning issues considered in the initial introduction of an emerging medical technology. Health planning is defined in historical perspective with an emphasis on Certificate of Need (CoN) legislation at the state and broader health planning legislation at the federal level. The article explains how the CoN process attempts to deal with the issues outlined earlier. In conclusion the article points to the limited effect the CoN process has had as a regulatory measure, suggesting that the future role of legislated health planning in connection with the new medical technology remains an unanswered issue for the future.