Reform of Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation and Ambulatory Surgery Center Conditions of Coverage

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a series of proposed and final rules revising and clarifying the Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation governing hospitals, the conditions for coverage governing ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and regulatory requirements affecting non-hospital providers and suppliers. The rules were promulgated in response to Executive Order 13563 issued by President Barack Obama on Jan. 18, 2011, that called for a reduction in needless and outdated requirements mandated by federal rules. The proposed changes to hospitals and ASCs reflect thoughtful consideration of the conditions of participation and coverage. If adopted, the proposals could streamline certain processes, allowing these providers to more efficiently deploy resources. The proposed changes to non-hospital providers and suppliers seeks to eliminate federal rules found to be duplicative, overlapping, outdated and conflicting for many health care providers.

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