CMS Releases Additional Waivers for Hospitals and Ground Ambulance Organizations

On May 19, 2020, CMS released the following additional waivers to provide flexibilities needed to take care of patients for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), including:

• Modification of existing physical environment waivers for surge capacity and patient quarantine at hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and critical access hospitals so as to permit facility and non-facility space that is not normally used for patient care to be utilized for patient care or quarantine, provided the location is approved by the state and is consistent with the state’s emergency preparedness or pandemic plan; and
• Modification of the data collection and reporting periods for ground ambulance organizations.

For additional information on these waivers, see the CMS “COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers” document, pp. 4 and 29, marked “(Modified since 5/11 Release)”.