Resources

On December 28, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (“CMS”) clarified its position on texting patient information from healthcare provider to provider. In its Memorandum to State Survey Agency Directors (S&C 18-10-ALL), CMS warned all texting of patient orders is prohibited, regardless of whether a secure platform is used to relay the orders, and texting of other patient information is permitted if relayed via a secure platform.

Natural and man-made disasters in recent years have highlighted how disasters can disrupt the environment of health care and change the demand for health care services. As a result, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a final rule establishing national emergency preparedness and coordination requirements for 17 different provider and supplier types including, but not limited to: Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Hospices, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Long-Term Care Facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities, Community Mental Health Centers, and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.