Recent EMTALA Changes and the On Call Physician Responsibilities & OIG Compliance

*This program has the prior approval of AAPC for 2 continuing education hours. Granting of prior approval in no way constitutes endorsement by AAPC of the program content or the program sponsor.

CMS issued four new recent publications, and made changes to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor
Act (EMTALA) manual - imposed monetary penalties (CMPs) for EMTALA violations against hospitals or individual physicians.
CMS published data on EMTALA violations says there were 2,660 hospital cited for being out of compliance. CMS has just increased the penalty over 50% - hence, a must attend program on the radar screen of all hospitals and CAHs (Critical access hospitals).

Did you know that EMTALA deficiencies were the number one problematic standard for hospitals from CMS? CMS has started issuing quarterly deficiency memos and many hospitals were surprised to see that EMTALA deficiencies were a top deficiency and many involved the on-call physician issue. The current CMS deficiency report found over 4,050 EMTALA deficiencies. There were 185 related to on call physician issues. This program will discuss the final OIG changes which affect on call physicians and proposed changes to the on-call system. It will also discuss changes regarding the BFCC QIO handling of complaints.

Every hospital that has an emergency department and accepts Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement must follow the federal law and CMS interpretive guidelines on EMTALA. This includes critical access hospitals. Stiff penalties attach for both   hospitals and the physicians for violating this law. Did you know that the penalty has more than doubled? This includes up to $104,826 fine for hospitals with 100 or more beds and exclusion from the Medicare program. Physicians can be fined and excluded from participating in any federal program and their license revoked by the state medical board. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) suggests that hospitals provide EMTALA on call training for their physicians who are on call.

The enforcement of EMTALA is a complaint driven process. This 120 minutes presentation, by hospital & compliance expert, Sue Dill Calloway, will cover the EMTALA regulations concerning On-Call Physicians. It is essential that every hospital and critical access hospital be in compliance with the federal regulations and the On-Call Physician requirements. What has your hospital done to educate your physicians on their on-call responsibilities? The hospital can be fined for the on-call physicians’ failure to show up when requested.

Session Agenda And Highlights

  • Who are the players?

  • CMS website; OIG changes to on-call

  • CMS deficiency memo and EMTALA is the number one problematic standard

  • OIG changes affecting on-call physicians

  • QIO for determining medical standard of care,

  • 2 QIOs BFCC for investigating complaints

  • Payment for on-call coverage

  • Shared and community call plans

  • In-patient PPS EMTALA Changes

  • OIG bulletins on on-call doctors; OIG advisory bulletins on paying on call physicians

  • EMTALA Guidance Memos; Where to find the EMTALA Law,

  • Essentials of Provider Agreements and on-call physicians,

  • CMS Interpretive Guidelines,

  • OIG CPG for Hospitals Recommends on-call physician education,

  • On-call list of physicians, Frequency of on-call physicians,

  • Relevant factors test,

  • CMS Memo on On-Call Requirements; CMS Memo on Simultaneously On-Call,

  • Responding within a reasonable time, Policy and procedures,

  • Exemption for senior MS or recognition of years of service,

  • Maintaining on-call list - Can a physician refuse to come to the ED?

  • What to do during no coverage periods,

  • Response time, Response of non physicians,

  • Certificate to transfer, Certification of false labor requirement

  • Follow up care, Physician education – If physician treats a patient while on call for the ED must they treat the patient again?; OR, if the physician is on call must he treat the patient if patient was discharged for failure to pay the bill?

  • Practices that have gotten physicians in trouble


Session Objective and Outcome

  • Recall that CMS has an EMTALA CoP which lists the responsibilities of physicians on call

  • Explain that hospitals must have specific names of physicians on call and not the group practice’s name,

  • Discuss that the hospital must maintain a list of physicians who are on call to evaluate  the emergency department patients,

  • Discuss that both CMS and OIG recommend that all hospitals provide on-call physician with education on their on-call responsibilities under EMTALA

  • Recall that EMTALA is a top problematic standard for hospitals from CMS

  • Describe that the EMTALA money penalty has now more than doubled

  • Two additional resources will be provided to the attendees explaining about the four new recent publications, and changes made to the EMTALA manual.


Who Should Attend

  • CEOs, COOs, Chief nursing officer (CNO), Chief medical officer (CMO)

  • Emergency Department Managers & Nurses, Emergency Medicine Physicians

  • OB managers, Nurse Managers & Supervisors, ED nurse educator

  • Behavioral Health Director and Staff, Psychiatrists

  • Compliance officers, Legal counsel, Risk managers

  • Consumer Advocates, Patient safety officer

  • Regulatory Affairs Director, Director of hospital based ambulances,

  • Medical Staff Director, Hospital Attorney, and

  • Anyone involved in ensuring compliance with the EMTALA law


Ask a question at the Q&A session following the live event and get advice unique to your situation, directly from our expert speaker.

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Webinar Information

Date / Time : August 15, 2019 @ 01:00 PM EST

Duration : 120 Minutes



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Contact 866-217-0586 or
Email us at [email protected]

Speaker Detail

Sue Dill Calloway RN, Esq. CPRHM CCMSCP AD, BSN, MSN, JD

Alt Text Sue Dill Calloway, R.N., M.S.N, J.D. is a nurse attorney and President of Patient Safety and Healthcare Consulting and Education. She is also the past Chief Learning Officer for the Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation and a board member. She was a director for risk management and patient safety for readmore...

 

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