NC S323

Exempts physicians providing vascular access for hemodialysis in physician office-based centers from needing a Certificate of Need (CON) to license their facilities as ambulatory surgical facilities, provided they meet specified criteria.

License applications must be postmarked for delivery to the Division of Health Service Regulation by December 31, 2019, and the facility must have been in operation or had a completed building permit application submitted by the effective date of the act.

Facilities must be accredited by The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, The Joint Commission, or The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities before the license application is postmarked.

License applications must include a commitment to and a plan for serving indigent and medically underserved populations.

The State Medical Facilities Plan shall not include policies or need determinations that limit the number of vascular access procedure rooms that may be approved; the act becomes effective October 1, 2019.