Members of the state House Health and Human Resources Committee did the right thing this week by voting down House Bill 2007, which would have repealed the certificate of need program that helps make quality healthcare accessible to all West Virginians.

But on this matter, Gov. Patrick Morrisey is determined.

“The fight to repeal Certificate of Need is not over,” Morrisey said in a post on social media Monday evening. “West Virginia currently pays more for hospital services than all but one state – while experiencing the worst healthcare outcomes. We must reduce the unaffordable price of healthcare and increase consumers’ access to the services they depend on.”

While his effort to streamline state government and examine all options is commendable, on this front, Morrisey must understand the certificate of need program is not just “red tape.”

Before the committee’s vote Monday, Candace Miller, CEO for WVU Medicine Jackson General Hospital, summed up the situation in the Mountain State.

Here we have 72 hospitals, with 21 hospitals having a federal critical access designation. Meanwhile, 75% of the population relies on Medicare, Medicaid or state worker health insurance through the Public Employees Insurance Agency. All of those entities come with low reimbursement rates.

While agreeing that there are challenges to be addressed in West Virginia healthcare, Miller maintains the certificate of need program is not the place to start.

“I have lived in West Virginia my entire life. Up until recently, I have worked in Ohio. And I will tell you, West Virginia is different,” Miller said. “In my humble opinion, we must recognize that there is work to do such as addressing supply and demand and creating a truly free market before moving towards CON repeal. I urge you to please make the choice to protect a certificate of need so it protects my critical access hospital designation because without it, my critical access hospital designation is at risk and so is my ability to keep the doors open.”

Surely, Morrisey doesn’t want to see hospitals forced to reduce access to health care in a state he acknowledges has public health statistics that rank lower than any other state.

But while HB 2007 may have been voted down, another bill introduced at the request of the governor is awaiting its turn with the state Senate. Senate Bill 453, “Repealing certificate of need process,” is pending with that body’s Health and Human Resources Committee.

Given that those members have the same information and, no doubt, the same desire to do the right thing as did those in the House committee, Morrisey must be braced for the measure to be voted down again.

Though that may be a disappointment to him, as Morrisey felt so strongly on the certificate of need issue to mention it in his State of the State address, he must not look for workarounds or try to force his will upon lawmakers if it does not progress.

Morrisey knows better than anyone the importance of avoiding executive overreach and going through proper channels — and so far has demonstrated his desire to do so. Should both the House and state Senate reject a certificate of need repeal for now, Morrisey must dust himself off and get back to work on a myriad of other, more important matters for West Virginia.