North Carolina representatives introduced legislation to repeal the state's certificate-of-need laws related to standalone surgery centers, Reflector.com reports.
What you should know:
1. Reps. Billy Richardson, D-Cumberland, Ed Goodwin, R-Chowan, and David Rogers, R-Rutherford, filed House Bill 857 in mid-April.
2. Mr. Richardson acknowledged the difficulty of passing the bill in the House, but said, "I think there's nothing more powerful as an idea whose time has come."
3. The representatives believe demand for surgeries has outpaced available inpatient accommodations.
4. The bill is a compromise to more aggressive efforts that would abolish all CONs.
5. The state Senate is considering two bills, one that would abolish ASC-related CONs and one that would eliminate the entire CON system.
6. The N.C. Healthcare Association, the state's hospital lobbying organization, believes the CON system is effective.
7. Regulatory experts believe CONs limit competition, which in turn allows hospitals to increase procedure prices.