The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new set of temporary regulatory waivers and new rules that increase the role ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) can play in the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Highlights from this announcement include the following:
- As part of a new “CMS Hospital Without Walls” program, ASCs that have canceled elective surgeries can contract with local healthcare systems to provide hospital services, or they can enroll and bill as hospitals during the emergency declaration as long as they are not inconsistent with their state’s emergency preparedness or pandemic plan.
- As the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association noted, “ASCs that choose to enroll to receive temporary billing privileges as a hospital should call the COVID-19 Provider Enrollment Hotline to reach the contractor that serves their jurisdiction and complete and sign an attestation form specific to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.”
- Ambulances can temporarily transport patients to a wider range of locations when other transportation is not medically appropriate. These destinations include ASCs and physician’s offices.
Also of interest from the announcement: “CMS will not take administrative actions with respect to facilities who need to temporarily close during the outbreak. However, facilities are expected to resume operations or voluntarily terminate their Medicare enrollment within 30 days of the public health emergency being lifted.