In a move that must have gladdened the hearts of hospital leaders--who aren't exactly thrilled by the proliferation of ambulatory surgical centers--Massachusetts has introduced new rules requiring ASCs to get a certificate of need.
The Massachusetts Department of Health has approved updates to the state's CON law, requiring single-specialty surgery centers to prove community need before opening. In the past, ASCs were exempt from CON law, something that allowed the industry to grow at a remarkable clip.
The new rules aren't completely favorable to hospitals, however. Hospital outpatient projects valued at more than $25 million are also subject to new CON requirements, which somewhat undercuts the benefit of the new rules for them. After all--let's be honest--the ideal situation for hospitals would be if ASCs had to get CONs and hospital outpatient centers didn't!
To learn more about the new rules:
- read this AMNews piece
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