The federal government is threatening hospitals with financial penalties if they do not report coronavirus patient data and test results to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The mandatory reporting requirement was part of new emergency rules announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Until now, the reporting has been voluntary. “Hospitals will face possible termination of Medicare and Medicaid payment if unable to correct reporting deficiencies,” the statement from CMS said.
The American Hospital Association has criticized the new rules, noting they were made without any input from hospitals. “It’s beyond perplexing why CMS would use a regulatory sledgehammer — threatening Medicare participation — to the very organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against Covid-19,” Richard J. Pollack, the association’s president, said in a statement, adding that the rules should be “reversed immediately.”
The new federal rules also include testing requirements for nursing homes.