This post was also written by Paul Sheives.
On October 24, 2009, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic a National Emergency to facilitate the nations ability to respond to the H1N1 pandemic by enabling – if warranted – the waiver of certain statutory federal requirements for medical treatment facilities.
This proclamation provided Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the ability under section 1135 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. § 1320b–5] to waive certain legal requirements that could otherwise limit the ability of the nation’s healthcare system to respond to the surge of patients with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Secretary Sebelius recently issued a Section 1135 waiver that becomes effective at 5:00 p.m. today but is retroactive to October 23, 2009.
Accordingly, healthcare facilities may now petition the Department for 1135 waivers to ensure that sufficient healthcare items and services are available to meet the needs of Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries. Listed below are a few examples of when 1135 waivers may be necessary:
- Hospitals request to set up an alternative screening location for patients away from the hospital’s main campus (requiring waiver of sanctions for certain directions, relocations or transfers under EMTALA).
- Hospitals request to facilitate transfer of patients from ERs and inpatient wards between hospitals (requiring waiver of sanctions under EMTALA regulations).
- Critical Access Hospitals requesting waiver of 42 C.F.R. § 485.620, which requires a 25-bed limit and average patient stays less than 96 hours.
- Skilled Nursing Facilities requesting a waiver of 42 C.F.R. § 483.5, which requires CMS approval prior to increasing the number of the facility’s certified beds.
