The Certificate of Need process also applies to anyone wanting to install a MRI machine. Rather than letting a doctor take the risk of buying an expensive mach

The Certificate of Need process also applies to anyone wanting to install a MRI machine. Rather than letting a doctor take the risk of buying an expensive machine for their business, the certificate process forces patients to travel to the nearest machine, possibly in the next town, instead of just walking down the hall to it. The knock-on effect of there being fewer machines built keeps the price high. The first photocopier (the Xerox 914) cost the equivalent of $220,000 in 1965, yet there are very few businesses without a copier today because the price is so reasonable (5% of the 914's cost), and they do much much more.