CMS announces physician supervision changes as part of 2011 OPPS final rule
HIM Connection, November 9, 2010
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CMS finalized four changes to its physician supervision requirements as part of the 2011 OPPS final rule, released November 2.
In the final rule, CMS:
- Changed the definition of “immediately available”
- Delayed enforcement of supervision requirements for rural and critical access hospitals (CAH)
- Announced its plan to convene a panel beginning in 2012 to determine the level of supervision required for different services
- Finalized a new category of “nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic services” that require direct supervision during an initiation period, followed by a minimum standard of general supervision
These changes are a welcome relief and clearly show that CMS is listening to provider comments, says Jugna Shah, MPH, president of Nimitt Consulting in Washington, DC.
“The delay for CAHs and rural hospitals, the convening of a board to review supervision levels, and the change in the definition of immediately available, are all very positive,” Shah says. “Unfortunately, CMS also finalized its proposal for defining a new category of nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic services, which requires further consideration since it seems somewhat premature given that it is convening a panel to review such things and also since its delay in enforcing these rules for CAHs and rural hospitals.”
Editor’s note: Visit the HCPro website to read more.
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