The legislation would require CMS to allow a default setting of general supervision rather than direct supervision for outpatient therapy services.
Currently, CMS requires a supervising physician be physically present during outpatient therapy procedures for Medicare beneficiaries. However, smaller hospitals, particularly those in rural areas, find these supervision requirements difficult to fulfill, often due to a limited medical workforce.
The Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services Act would allow general supervision by physician or non-physician providers for many outpatient therapy services. It would require CMS to create an exceptions process for risky and complex outpatient services. It would also create a special rule for critical access hospitals that recognizes their unique size and Medicare conditions of participation.
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