HB 344 – Exempt Ocular Surgery from CON Laws
Primary Sponsors: Rep. Michael Speciale (R – Craven), Rep. Mike Clampitt (R – Swain)
This bill would exempt ophthalmologists who perform certain ocular surgical procedures from CON laws. This bill defines an “ocular surgical procedure” as a procedure that requires local, regional or general anesthesia and less than 24 hours of post-operational care. The licensed ophthalmologist would be required to do the following:
- Turn in the license application to the Division of Health Service Regulation by December 31, 2017.
- Verify within 60 days after the effective date of this act that the facility is in operation at that time, or has completed a building permit application.
- The facility is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities.
- The license application includes a plan for serving indigent and medically underserved populations.