CMS rule eases scheduling for critical access hospital physicians

A provision in CMS’ new rule to modify or eliminate unnecessary regulations will ease requirements for physicians in small Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), as well as Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), according to the agency. Part II of CMS’ Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction eliminates the requirement that physicians be onsite “for sufficient periods of time at least once in every two-week period” in these facilities.

CAHs and RHCS/FQHCs will still be required to have a physician onsite for “sufficient periods of time” depending on the needs of the facility and its patients, according to the rule, most of which will go into effect in early July. This provision recognizes that telemedicine improvement and expansion allow physicians to provide many types of care at lower costs, while maintaining high-quality care, CMS stated on its website.

Source: CMS