Recent regulatory actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to pay for hospital care outside of traditional inpatient sites were welcomed by some physician groups.
The policy updates will reimburse hospitals to provide in-home, hospital-level telehealth care for patients with acute conditions and will pay for both inpatient and outpatient care in ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) temporarily designated as hospitals.
The actions allow health systems to safely care for these patients in nontraditional locations, away from patients being treated for COVID-19. The new programs will also conserve critical bed space for COVID-19 patients who need immediate treatment.
Author:- Michele G. Sullivan
