CMS Releases Additional Waivers for Hospitals and Other Facilities
CMS continues to release waivers for the health care community that provide the flexibilities needed to take care of patients during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). CMS recently provided additional blanket waivers for the duration of the PHE that:
- Expand hospitals’ ability to offer long-term care services (“swing beds”)
- Waive distance requirements, market share, and bed requirements for Sole Community Hospitals
- Waive certain eligibility requirements for Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospitals (MDHs)
- Update specific life safety code requirements for hospitals, hospice, and long-term care facilities
For more information, see Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers.
Price Transparency: Requirement to Post Cash Prices Online for COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a number of provisions to provide relief to the public from issues caused by the pandemic, including price transparency for COVID -19 testing. Section 3202(b) of the CARES Act requires providers of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 to post the cash price for a COVID-19 diagnostic test on their website from March 27 through the end of the public health emergency. For more information, see the FAQs.