A New Jersey bill that would require licensing for one-operating room surgery centers in the state has been amended, and the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers has expressed its satisfaction with the changes.
The original version of S2780, as introduced and sponsored by Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), would have required all New Jersey ASCs to become licensed by the state's Department of Health and Senior Services. This meant any currently unlicensed ASCs would therefore have to meet DHHS physical plant requirements and pay an ambulatory care assessment fee, according to an email from Mark Manigan, JD, an attorney with the health law practice group at Brach Eichler.
The amended version, which is expected to be voted out of the Senate to the Assembly, removes these new requirements for unlicensed, one-operating room centers. For existing ASCs currently Medicare-certified, nothing will change with this new bill, according to Jeffrey Shanton, chair, Advocacy and Legislative Affairs Committee, NJAASC.
If the bill is enacted, unlicensed centers that are currently not Medicare-certified would need to become Medicare-certified, according to Mr. Manigan. These centers would still be exempt from the physical plant requirements and ambulatory care assessment fee except in instances when the facility expands to include additional rooms.
"NJAASC believes that the above was a correct and fair compromise to the issues at hand," says Mr. Shanton. "We applaud Sen. Vitale for recognizing these issues, and working with us to get this important legislation passed. Thanks to his efforts, this legislation addresses everyone's needs, and most importantly, allows one-room centers to continue operating with minimal changes."
Learn more about the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
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