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Creative Ways to Save Money in the OR - May 2016 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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support of the American Medical Association, among other national physician organizations, it currently awaits a hearing before a House committee and an uncertain future. Leadership changes in the House, however, have found one of the bill's supporters, Rep. Kevin Brady (R- Texas, like the bill's author, Rep. Sam Johnson), assuming the chair- manship of the House Ways and Means Committee, which claims jurisdiction over the legislation. If recent trends continue, physician-owned hospitals' efficient per- formance and satisfied patients may be the key to convincing lawmak- ers that passing the PACE Act could help to deliver high quality health care while keeping costs under control. OSM Mr. Williams (jwilliams@hallrender.com) is an attorney at Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman's Washington, D.C., office, where his practice areas include federal legislative and regulatory advocacy, government relations and health policy. Andrea L. Impicciche, Alyssa C. James and Maryn T. Johnson from the firm's Indianapolis office contributed to this article. Legal Update LU 3 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 6 The Affordable Care Act amended the Stark Law to prohibit physician-owned hospitals from expanding their aggregate number of operating rooms, procedure rooms and licensed beds beyond the number for which they had been licensed on March 23, 2010, the day the ACA was signed into law. The Department of Health and Human Services, however, has the authority to grant exceptions to this restriction. Hospitals in which physicians hold ownership in the entire facility, rural hospi- tals serving specified patient needs and facilities serving a high volume of Medicaid beneficiaries may qualify for expansion. To date, only 3 hospitals — 2 in Texas and 1 in Indiana — have satisfied the criteria necessary to receive an expansion exception. Hospitals requesting an exception may submit an exception request electronically to poh-exceptionrequests@cms.hhs.gov. — John F. Williams III, JD EASING RESTRICTIONS Do You Qualify for an Expansion Exception?

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