The new policy requires a privileged physician to be present, at both on and off campus facilities, whenever outpatient therapeutic services are rendered.
According to a letter sent by the healthcare organizations to CMS Director Jonathan Bloom, hospitals were not given enough time to modify operations and were not adequately informed of the significance of the policy change.
The healthcare organizations stated in the letter that the policy change would place a "considerable burden on hospitals, requiring them to engage more physicians for direct supervisory without a clear clinical need."
The organizations urged CMS to host an open-door or town hall meeting to solicit feedback from the medical community before moving forward with the policy change.
