Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in order to promote Medicaid and Medicare program efficiency, transparency, and burden reduction, proposed new rules that revise the applicable conditions of participation (CoPs) for providers and conditions for coverage (CfCs). The link of this rule will be republished in the Federal Register on Sept. 20.
According to the fact sheet summary excerpt:
This proposed rule would reform Medicare regulations that are identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or excessively burdensome on health care providers and suppliers. This proposed rule would increase the ability of health care professionals to devote resources to improving patient care by eliminating or reducing requirements that impede quality patient care or that divert resources away from furnishing high quality patient care.
These three rules, which are a continuation of CMS efforts to reduce regulatory burden and is in accordance with the January 30, 2017 Executive Order “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs” (Executive Order 13771) were implemented further increased the ability of health care professionals to devote resources to improving patient care by eliminating or reducing requirements that impede quality patient care or that divert providing high quality patient care:
- “Reform of Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation”, published May 16, 2012 (77 FR 29034);
- “Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction”, published May 16, 2012 (77 FR 29002) and;
- “Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction; Part II”, published May 12, 2014 (79 FR 27105).
The changes to the current requirements, CoPs, and Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that will simplify and streamline the current regulations and thereby increase provider flexibility and reduce excessively burdensome regulations, while also allowing providers to focus on providing high-quality healthcare to their patients.
