Bill to extend enforcement moratorium on direct supervision clears committee

The House Ways and Means Committee today approved AHA-supported legislation (H.R. 5613) to extend through calendar year 2016 the enforcement delay 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. John Thune (R-SD) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) yesterday introduced companion legislation (S. 3129). 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.