MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ

Rep. Ruiz Co-Sponsors The Emergency Care Improvement Act (H.R. 1694)

The National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers (NAFEC) is excited to announce that Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) has signed on to co-sponsor H.R. 1694, the Emergency Care Improvement Act, a bill that would allow for permanent Medicare recognition of freestanding emergency centers (FECs). Rep. Ruiz is a Senior Democratic Member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, a key health care Committee, and  a former emergency room doctor. His support for the bill comes as a direct result of NAFEC’s advocacy efforts and solidifies the recognized value of FECs in the health care system. NAFEC will continue to work with Congress to garner more bipartisan co-sponsors for and ultimate passage of this important piece of legislation.

 

NAFEC President Rob Morris commended the additional of Rep. Ruiz on the bill:

 

“We are proud that a fellow ER professional recognizes the importance of FECs and the value that they provide to patients. Granting permanent Medicare recognition of this sites of care would improve patient access, and strengthen the presence of emergency care in our communities. The Emergency Care Improvement act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that has the potential to save and improve the lives of many.”

 

Background on the Legislation:

  1. FECs are fully licensed emergency departments that are staffed by both Emergency Medicine trained physicians and registered nurses who are on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week and possess licensed pharmacies, clinical labs, and advanced imaging services. FECs are state-licensed and adhere to the same standards and provide the same level of care as Hospital Based Emergency Rooms (HBER), including state Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) regulations on treating all patients.

  2. To expand provider capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a waiver in April 2020 to allow FECs to enroll as Medicare-certified hospitals and receive Medicare reimbursement for the duration of the Public Health Emergency.

  3. Over 110 FECs, mostly located in Texas, enrolled and have been providing high-quality emergency services for all kinds of emergency conditions, at a significant savings to the Medicare program, to thousands of Medicare beneficiaries.

  4. An actuarial study of Medicare claims data found that FECs did not increase overall utilization of emergency care services and actually saved Medicare programs 21.8% in lower emergency care payments for patients of similar acuity in hospital emergency departments.

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