Financial Assistance Policies: Mandatory Changes by Year-End
CMS Webinar Covers Requirements for Hospital Price Transparency Machine-Readable File
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a webinar to bring hospitals up to speed on the price transparency machine-readable file (MRF) requirements.
What else to know: The webinar takes place on Oct. 21 from 10-11:30 a.m. (PT).
OSHPD to Host Webinar on Hospital Construction Review Process
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development (OSHPD) is hosting a webinar to share updates about its review process for hospital construction projects.
What else to know: The webinar is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. (PT) and is free. Registration is open.
CMS Issues Updated Model EMTALA Signage
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the release of updated model signage that Medicare-participating hospitals may use to inform patients of their rights under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
What else to know: The CMS signage is updated to include a reference to a new EMTALA-compliant portal launched by the agency in May 2024. CMS encourages — but does not require — hospitals to adopt the updated signage by Sept. 13.
New Reimbursement Options for Inpatient Psychiatric Care
CMS Develops Resources to Help Hospitals Comply with Machine-Readable File Requirements
What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published resources to help hospitals implement hospital price transparency machine-readable file (MRF) requirements.
What else to know: As of July 1 of this year, hospitals are required to publish a comprehensive MRF containing the standard charges for all items and services provided by the hospital.
New HCAI Advisory Guide Available on Design Document Preparation
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development (OSHPD) recently released a new advisory guide for sitework under its jurisdiction.
What else to know: The advisory guide includes tips on preparing design documents and provides examples, methods, and approaches that have been successfully used on various projects.
HCAI Issues Updated Building Code Application Notice
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information’s (HCAI) Office of Statewide Hospital Planning and Development (OSHPD) recently revised the Code Application Notice (CAN 2-0) OSHPD Jurisdiction.
What else to know: CAN 2-0 explains how OSHPD is designated as the enforcing agency for hospital buildings and skilled-nursing facilities, and identifies the local building department as the enforcing agency for clinics and certain chemical dependency recovery hospitals.
CMS Final Rule Requires Hospitals to Install Automatic Sprinkler Systems by July 2028
What’s happening: In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adopted a final rule to update fire safety standards for hospitals, critical access hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, and other health care facilities.
What else to know: The final rule is available in the Federal Register.
HCAI Releases Draft Regulations on AB 1204
What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) released draft regulations to implement Assembly Bill (AB) 1204 (2021), which requires hospitals to submit annual reports for measures on patient access, quality, and outcomes by race, ethnicity, language, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and payer.
What else to know: The reports are also required to include a plan to prioritize and address disparities for vulnerable populations identified in the data submitted by hospitals.