UCA Comment Letter Submitted to CMS

 
In case you missed the alert earlier this month, UCA’s comment letter in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) request for information (RFI) in the proposed CY 2025 PFS has been submitted and is live on the Federal Register.
 
Thank you to McDermott+ and UCA staff and volunteers for their diligent efforts in reviewing and refining the letter. We also appreciate the member organizations that contributed their own comments. Here are the key points:
 
  • Urgent Care Centers (UCCs) as a Solution: We highlighted how UCCs can help reduce overcrowding and wait times in emergency departments (EDs) by providing urgent, non-emergent care more efficiently and cost-effectively.
  • Incentives for UCCs: We suggested that CMS create policies to encourage UCCs to expand their hours and services, especially in underserved communities.
  • Enhanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services: We stressed the value of UCCs offering enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic services and operating outside typical business hours to better serve patients.
  • New Place of Service Code: We proposed a new Place of Service (PoS) code and a complementary G-code to distinguish UCCs that offer these enhanced services, allowing for more precise evaluation and appropriate compensation.
  • Equity in Access to Health Care: We discussed how expanding UCCs in underserved areas can improve health equity and reduce inappropriate ED use.
 
The proposed definition for the “enhanced” UCC PoS code is: A facility, separate from a hospital ER, office, or clinic, that operates during and outside typical business hours, provides diagnostic (radiography and lab) and therapeutic (surgical and nonsurgical) services, and is designed to diagnose and treat unscheduled, ambulatory patients seeking immediate care.
 
This is a significant milestone with more work ahead, but we’ve secured a meaningful position in the conversation and are ready to keep advocating for Urgent Care!
 
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