The Supreme Court decided not to hear the American Hospital Association's appeal of a change to the 2019 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Rule.
Here are nine federal updates for ASC leaders:
1. President Joe Biden aims to hinder employers' ability to suppress competition for employees with a potential new executive order that encourages the Federal Trade Commission to limit or ban noncompete agreements.
2. CMS' proposed surprise-billing rule prohibits insurers from retroactively denying emergency department claims. The ban is the first in a series of rules aimed at shielding patients from surprise billing. Here are 10 things to know.
3. In a June 3 letter, CMS forged ahead with a prior authorization requirement for cervical fusion procedures, despite protest from several organizations, including the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons and North American Spine Society.
4. The Biden administration launched "surge response" teams to stop the spread of the delta variant in COVID-19 hot spots.
5. CMS named Meena Seshamani, MD, the new deputy administrator and director of Center for Medicare.
6. The Supreme Court decided not to hear the American Hospital Association's appeal of a change to the 2019 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Rule that reduced the pay rate for services provided at off-campus, provider-based departments and clinics, upholding the policy.
7. Here's what ASCs need to know about CMS' price transparency rule, with which many hospitals are not complying.
8. In a slew of Trump-era policy rollbacks and additions, the Biden administration issued a proposal looking to bolster the ACA, primarily through enrollment expansions.
9. Enforcement began June 30 on HHS and CMS regulations requiring all healthcare providers and payers to meet interoperability standards.