The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) implemented a “Hospital without Walls” policy to allow hospitals to provide and bill for hospital services in other healthcare facilities and sites, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), according to an article on the National Law Review website.
The waiver is intended to ensure that local healthcare facilities have the capacity to handle a surge of COVID-19 patients.
For the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, CMS is allowing hospitals to establish and operate as part of the hospital in any location meeting the conditions of participation for hospitals.
CMS’ waiver relaxes a number of Medicare requirements – including certain Conditions of Participation and provider-based rules applicable to hospitals.
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