Bipartisan bill would extend moratorium on direct supervision through 2016

Jul 06, 2016 - 06:01 PM

Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today introduced AHA-supported legislation (S. 3129) to extend through calendar year 2016 the enforcement moratorium on direct supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services provided in critical access hospitals and rural prospective payment system hospitals with 100 or fewer beds. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are original cosponsors of the legislation. “Your legislation would provide immediate relief to small, rural hospitals and ensure these communities will continue to have access to outpatient therapeutic services,” AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said in a letter of support. Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA) last week introduced companion legislation (H.R. 5613), which the Ways and Means Committee expects to mark up tomorrow. AHA continues to urge Congress to also enact the AHA-supported Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services Act (S. 257/H.R. 1611), which would adopt a default standard of “general supervision” for outpatient therapeutic services, among other provisions; and the Rural Hospital Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 5164), which would permanently extend the enforcement moratorium for CAHs and small, rural hospitals.

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