U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
News Division
202-690-6343
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 4, 2013
Reforms of regulatory requirements to save health care providers $676 million annually
Reforms
to Medicare regulations identified as unnecessary, obsolete, or
excessively burdensome on hospitals and health care providers would save
nearly $676 million annually, and $3.4 billion over five years, through
a rule proposed today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
services (CMS). The proposed rule supports President Obama’s call on
federal agencies to modify, streamline regulations on business.
“We
are committed to cutting the red tape for health care facilities,
including rural providers,” said Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius. “By eliminating outdated or overly burdensome
requirements, hospitals and health care professionals can focus on
treating patients.”
The
proposed rule is designed to help health care providers to operate more
efficiently by getting rid of regulations that are out of date or no
longer needed. Many of the rule’s provisions streamline the standards
health care providers must meet in order to participate in the Medicare
and Medicaid programs without jeopardizing beneficiary safety.
For
example, a key provision reduces the burden on very small critical
access hospitals, as well as rural health clinics and federally
qualified health centers, by eliminating the requirement that a
physician be held to an excessively prescriptive schedule for being
onsite once every two weeks. This provision seeks to address the
geographic barriers and remoteness of many rural facilities, and
recognize telemedicine improvements and expansions that allow physicians
to provide many types of care at lower costs, while maintaining
high-quality care.
Among other provisions, the proposed rule would:
Save
hospitals significant resources by permitting registered dietitians to
order patient diets independently, which they are trained to do, without
requiring the supervision or approval of a physician or other
practitioner. This frees up time for physicians and other practitioners
to care for patients.
Eliminate
unnecessary requirements that ambulatory surgical centers must meet in
order to provide radiological services that are an integral part of
their surgical procedures, permitting them greater flexibility for
physician supervision requirements.
Permit
trained nuclear medicine technicians in hospitals to prepare
radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine without the supervising
physician or pharmacist constantly being present, which helps speed
services to patients, particularly during off hours.
Eliminate
a redundant data submission requirement and an unnecessary survey
process for transplant centers while maintaining strong federal
oversight.
To view the proposed rule, please visit: www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx.
To view the May 2012 final rules, please visit: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario