NC H660

Removes psychiatric facilities, chemical dependency treatment facilities, and kidney disease treatment centers from Certificate of Need (CON) review requirements for facilities that obtained prior CON approval before October 1, 2021.

Exempts ophthalmologists licensed in North Carolina from CON requirements for ocular surgical procedure rooms, provided they meet accreditation standards and submit applications by December 31, 2021.

Defines ocular surgical procedures as eye surgeries requiring local, regional, or general anesthesia with less than 24 hours of post-operative observation that do not constitute an ambulatory surgical program.

Maintains existing exemption for gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures and requires the State Medical Facilities Plan to not limit the number of ocular surgical procedure rooms that may be approved.

Effective date is October 1, 2021.