CMS delays releasing rule on physician self-referral law

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today extended its timeline for issuing a final rule modernizing the physician self-referral regulations until Aug. 31, 2021. AHA recently urged the Office of Management and Budget to quickly release this rule and the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General rule modernizing the anti-kickback statute, which were submitted for review in July. The AHA has long urged the agencies to modernize these regulations, and said the proposed rule released last October would “provide space for the types of innovative arrangements among hospitals and physicians that can enhance care coordination, improve quality and reduce costs.” 

“This is an extremely disappointing setback for hospital and health system efforts to continue to innovate coordinated care arrangements, which have great potential to benefit patients, lower costs and make care more accessible for everyone,” said AHA General Counsel Melinda Hatton. “We strongly urge CMS to move more quickly to finalize these improvements.”