Congress Establishes New Medicare Provider Category and Reimbursement for Rural Emergency Hospitals | January 5, 2021
...Overview Year-end COVID-19 relief legislation approved by Congress established Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) as a new Medicare provider type effective January 1, 2023. REHs, defined as providers that furnish certain outpatient hospital services...
CMS Seeks Comments on Requirements for Rural Emergency Hospitals as a New Medicare Provider Category | July 30, 2021
... challenges to delivering emergency department services customarily provided by hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) in rural and underserved communities that may require different or additional CoPs for REHs (for example, staffing shortages...
CMS Proposes Key Details for Payment Methodology, Quality Measures and Enrollment Policies for Rural Emergency Hospitals | July 20, 2022
...Overview Rural emergency hospitals (REHs) are a new Medicare provider type that will allow Medicare to pay for emergency department and other outpatient hospital services in rural areas beginning on January 1, 2023, without requiring the facility...
One Step Closer to a New Provider Type: CMS Issues Proposed Rule on Rural Emergency Hospital Conditions of Participation | July 7, 2022
...Overview On June 30, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the long-awaited proposed rule establishing the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) that Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) would be required to meet to participate...
...Overview Rural emergency hospitals (REHs) are a new provider type that will allow Medicare to pay for emergency department and other outpatient hospital services in rural areas beginning on January 1, 2023, without requiring the facility to meet the...
Congress Adds AKS and Stark Law Exceptions for Certain Wellness Programs | May 25, 2023
... program exception is not available to all healthcare entities. Entities that are eligible to avail themselves of the Stark wellness program exception include hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, community health centers, rural emergency hospitals...
CMS Seeks to Establish Regulations Limiting Critical Access Hospital Location Requirement | July 7, 2022
...Overview Tucked into the recent proposed rule establishing Rural Emergency Hospital Conditions of Participation (CoPs) is a proposal to change the CoPs for critical access hospitals (CAHs). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes...
Consolidated Appropriations Act Includes GME Support Provisions | January 15, 2021
...Overview The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, creates 1,000 new Medicare-funded graduate medical education (GME) residency positions, expands opportunities for rural residency training, and allows hospitals that have very low resident full...
CMS Releases Long-Awaited Guidance on Hospital Co-Location Arrangements | May 7, 2019
...-location will result in a deficiency under the governing body CoP as well as any other relevant CoPs. Emergency Services The current CoPs provide that hospitals without emergency departments must nonetheless have appropriate policies and procedures in...
CMS Announces Additional Blanket Waivers for Healthcare Facilities | May 14, 2020
.... The latest waivers, all of which are effective through the end of the public health emergency declaration, provide for the following: Expand hospitals’ ability to offer long-term care services for patients who do not require acute care but meet...
CMS Leaves Hospitals Guessing on Expectations for Compliant Co-Location Arrangements | November 16, 2021
... patients for whom they are providing care.” Emergency Services The final guidance removes references in the draft guidance to restrictions on hospitals using staff from a co-located hospital to respond to emergencies and replaces these references...
21st Century Cures: Congress Approves Legislation Expanding Hospital Site-Neutral Payment Exceptions and Making Other Payments Changes | December 8, 2016
... specified deadlines. Hospital Supervision Requirements (Section 16004) The new bill bars CMS from enforcing direct physician supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and small rural hospitals...
Key Takeaways | The Morning After – Impact of the US Presidential Election on the Deal Environment | December 3, 2024
.... In a rectifying attempt to stabilize operational costs and patient care, hospitals can look to deploy AI technologies. Newer AI technologies are being developed to triage patients in hospital emergency rooms and decrease wait times while more readily...
Flexibilities for Rural Health Centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers During COVID-19 | April 6, 2020
... and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released guidance to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) regarding additional flexibility afforded during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic national emergency. Of note is...
Congress Extends Certain Telehealth Flexibilities Through March 31, 2025 | January 16, 2025
... public health emergency (PHE) and subsequently extended through legislation, were set to end on December 31, 2024. These flexibilities, along with the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program, are now set to expire March 31, 2025. The ARA failed to...
Congress Considers Broader Hospital Site-Neutral Payment Exceptions and Other Payments Changes | May 27, 2016
... Demonstration Program (RCH Demo) provides Medicare cost-based reimbursement to certain small rural hospitals that do not quality for cost-based reimbursement under the Critical Access Hospital designation. The legislation would extend the RCH Demo for an...
How to Handle Elective Surgeries and Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic | March 18, 2020
... apply to the full suite of family planning services and procedures or to treatment for patients with emergency/urgent needs. Hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities may perform any surgery that if delayed or canceled would result in the patient’s...
CMS Extends Remote Direct Supervision Flexibilities in CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule | November 11, 2024
..., pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation services, incident-to services, and certain hospital outpatient services, may be furnished by auxiliary personnel under direct supervision by a physician or other provider, as determined by CMS. “Direct supervision...
CMS Issues Nationwide Blanket Waivers of Stark Law and OIG Issues an AKS Policy Statement | April 1, 2020
...-Owned Hospital and ASC Expansion Waivers CMS provided two waiver provisions addressing physician-owned hospitals and ASCs that are meant to expand the capability of physician-owned entities to provide care to patients in light of the COVID-19...
Office of Civil Rights Underscores Civil Rights Protection During COVID-19 | July 29, 2020
... federal funding recipients, including state and local agencies, hospitals and other healthcare providers, continue to take steps to serve their communities and address the COVID-19 public health emergency, the OCR bulletin reminds these recipients of...
