nc-stampHB 901 – Amend Certificate of Need
Primary Sponsors: Rep. Jeff Collins (R – Nash), Rep. Beverly Boswell (R – Dare), Rep. William Richardson (D- Cumberland)
This bill would exempt ambulatory surgical facilities and certain activities by smaller community hospitals from Certificate of Need review.
This bill would require that ambulatory surgical facilities to have an agreement with a hospital within a reasonable distance from the facility, or the medical staff at the ambulatory surgical facility. Additionally, the bill states the ambulatory surgical facility must have the capability  to transfer a patient to a hospital with adequate emergency room services.
This bill would direct the NC Department of Health and Human Services to exempt from certificate of need review the following activities by a community hospital with 200 acute care beds or less:

  • Development of a new institutional health service;
  • Construction, development or other establishment of a new health service facility;
  • Acquisition of major medical equipment, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, a lithotripter or a linear accelerator.

This bill has been referred to the House Health Committee. If it is found favorable there it will move to the House Judiciary I Committee, and then to the House Appropriations Committee.