BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) – Last week, the federal government temporarily gave freestanding emergency rooms in four states, including Texas, the right to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients.
“We’ve been anxiously awaiting that announcement,” said Tracy Putz, the director at Physicians Premiere ER.
Physicians Premiere is a freestanding emergency room in Bryan. Putz says they haven’t been successful in getting approved to be a CMS provider. However, temporary legislation will make them eligible for reimbursement for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients.
“We are just really excited to be able to offer care to all patients, regardless of if they have Medicare or Medicaid,” said Putz.
Freestanding ERs can participate in Medicare and Medicaid in one of three ways:
– Become affiliated with an already certified hospital under the temporary expansion 1135 emergency waiver;
– Participate in Medicaid under the clinic benefit if permitted by the state; or
– Enroll temporarily as a Medicare/Medicaid-certified hospital to provide hospital services.
Putz says Physicians Premiere has enrolled and is now just waiting.
“We are waiting on CMS to assign us a Medicare number and as soon as that happens, we’re ready to go,” said Putz.
The freestanding ER certification is only for 60 days.
CapRock Hospital is also working toward getting a certification, but they are not classified as a freestanding ER.
“Since we now have a hospital, it is less complicated and makes more sense to have just a single license as a hospital with two emergency rooms,” said Dr. Lon Young, co-founder of CapRock Health.
Dr. Young says as a small hospital, it’s still difficult to be CMS approved and something they’ve been working on for years. Young says with Medicare loosening their restrictions, it will make it easier for them to be certified.
“We’re fortunate in the sense that they’re loosening those so we can provide the facilities and the medical staff that we have to that population, especially during the time when there’s increased need for those services,” said Young.
Once approved CapRock’s certification will last for three years before they have to be reviewed again.