Beginning in 2023, Medicare will recognize a new provider type: the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). The establishment of REHs is intended to preserve access to emergency departments and other outpatient services in rural...more
8/11/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Critical Access Hospitals ,
Emergency Rooms ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Outpatient Services ,
Physician Ownership ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Rules ,
Provider Payments ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Stark Law ,
Statutory Requirements ,
Webinars
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights significant activity between June 21 and July 20, 2022. During this period, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, which historically...more
8/8/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
CLIA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Disproportionate Share Adjustments ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Medicare ,
Nursing Homes ,
OIG ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Roe v Wade ,
Skilled Nursing Facility
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...more
7/21/2022
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Conditions of Participation (CoP) ,
Dedicated Emergency Departments ,
Enrollment ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Outpatient Services ,
Proposed Rules ,
Rural Health Care Providers
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...more
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...more
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights notable enforcement activity between April 21 and May 20, 2022, including a telemedicine case involving $64 million in false and fraudulent claims. We also...more
6/14/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Competition ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Hospitals ,
Information Technology ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medical Devices ,
Nursing Homes ,
OIG ,
Payment Systems ,
Physicians ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Skilled Nursing Facility ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
This special inaugural issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights noticeable enforcement activity, OIG regulatory developments, CMS regulatory developments and other key developments for healthcare...more
5/26/2022
/ Advisory Opinions ,
Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Biden Administration ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA) ,
Global Code of Ethics ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
OIG ,
Regulatory Agenda
By July 2022, the US Supreme Court is expected to release its opinion in American Hospital Association v. Becerra, a case that not only has significant ramifications for healthcare providers but may also impacts the deference...more
2/15/2022
/ American Hospital Association ,
Appeals ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Chevron Deference ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Medicaid Reimbursements ,
Medicare ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 340B
Hospital and health systems rely on vendors and other partners to provide vital services that support patient care, efficient operations and smooth administrative functions. However, the regulations governing different types...more
In December 2021, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the second part of its FY 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule with Comment Period. Among other policies, the Final Rule...more
1/10/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Deadlines ,
Final Rules ,
FTEs ,
Graduate Medical Education ,
Health Care Providers ,
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) ,
Medical School ,
Residency Requirements ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Health Care Providers
On December 17, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2022 inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) final rule. In light of the significant volume of comments, CMS declined...more
On November 12, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated version of its Quality, Safety and Oversight Group memorandum, QSO-19-13-Hospital, containing much-anticipated final guidance on...more
On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule which, among other policy and regulatory changes, finalized...more
On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will implement increased penalties for hospitals that do not comply with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, effective January 1,...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has started phasing out certain program flexibilities granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Beginning in October 2021, CMS will resume several provider and...more
Under current Medicare program rules, Medicare does not recognize “freestanding emergency departments” or other non-hospital providers of emergency department services. Medicare will only pay for these services at facilities...more
On July 19, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden’s administration released a proposed rule that would increase penalties for hospitals that do not comply with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, effective January 1, 2022. The...more
On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule (Proposed Rule). The Proposed Rule sets forth CMS’ plans to revise...more
7/16/2021
/ Billing ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Comment Period ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Payment Reform ,
MPFS ,
New Regulations ,
Nurse Practitioners ,
Physician Assistants ,
Physicians ,
Proposed Rules
The US Supreme Court has announced that it will take up review of the decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upholding Medicare’s 2018 payment cuts to 340B drugs. The case will be closely...more
7/7/2021
/ Appeals ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 340B
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...more
1/6/2021
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Provider Payments ,
Reimbursements ,
Relief Measures ,
Rural Health Care Providers
On September 13, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order titled “Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First” (the Executive Order), which directed the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services...more
9/17/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Executive Orders ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Secretary of HHS ,
Trump Administration
On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. CMS proposes to reduce OPPS payments for 340B drugs from...more
On July 31, 2020, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has authority under the Social Security Act to reduce Medicare payment rates for...more
Background On November 15, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (Final Rule) that requires hospitals to establish, update and make public a list of their standard charges for items and...more
On May 11, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new suite of blanket waivers to ensure that healthcare facilities have the flexibility they need to treat patients during the Coronavirus...more