N.C. considers more same-day surgery centers

Some North Carolina lawmakers and organizations are calling for the state to loosen its healthcare certification laws to allow for more same-day surgery centers, but hospital organizations argue that doing so would put them at a competitive disadvantage, the Star News (Wilmington, N.C.) reported last week.

The state's certificate of need (CON) laws were enacted in 1978 to avoid unnecessary duplication of healthcare facilities and services and ensure access to the medically underserved. Opponents of the CON laws say they’re restrictive and difficult to navigate, making it challenging for ambulatory surgery centers to compete. Legislative efforts to open the door to more ambulatory surgery centers failed this past legislative session, though lawmakers in the off session continue to study the proposal. Currently there are 114 ambulatory surgery centers in the state.