The Green Mountain Care (Vt.) Board set a hearing date regarding an application that independent physicians filed two years ago to build an ASC in Colchester, Vt., according to VtDigger.
Here are five things to know:
1. The hearing is set for April 13, 2017, and the board stated interested parties can file a letter of intent over an identical or similar facility to the board by March 29, 2017.
2. The physicians' proposed ASC would cost $1.8 million to build and would offer orthopedic and spine procedures among others.
3. Amy Cooper, the project's spokesperson and executive director of New York City-based HealthFirst, an organization for providers at physician-owned practices, said the ASC would only compete with local hospitals on basic surgeries and procedures.
4. Physicians have received almost 25 letters of support regarding the facility since they first submitted their application in July 2015.
5. Those opposing the facility include The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. The association's CEO Jeff Tieman said the ASC is unnecessary and would increase the cost of commercial health insurance and the need for public funding to Medicaid and Medicare.