Federal Government Affairs News and Notes:
WISCA works closely with our national association partner – the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) – on advocacy and other issues important to our members. In fact, the WISCA Government Affairs Team joins a national ASCA state chapter call twice a month for a federal regulatory and legislative briefing and closely follows their published Government Affairs Updates. Here is the latest government affairs news from ASCA:
- ASC/OPPS Proposed Payment Rule
ASCA will send the first draft of our ASC/OPPS Proposed Payment Rule comment letter to the Government Affairs Committee and the ASCA Board of Directors this week. They will have one week to provide feedback to Kara Newbury and then a second draft of the letter will be circulated for additional feedback. Comments are due to The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by September 13. ASCA will have a state associations sign-on letter ready for circulation by August 29. WISCA will likely sing-on to the letter, pending WISCA Legislative Committee approval.
The first quarterly data submission deadline for ASC-20: COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among HCP (Health Care Personnel) was August 15, 2022. While CMS provided no extension for the August 15 deadline, there is an “extraordinary circumstance exception” that can be requested.
- Public Health Emergency Extension
When the Biden administration took office, they indicated they would give 60 days’ notice before ending the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Since the current extension of the PHE runs through mid-October and the states have not yet been notified otherwise, the PHE is expected to be extended. CMS did release a document last week to aid healthcare providers in phasing out flexibilities allowed during the Public Health Emergency, entitled “Creating a Roadmap for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.”
