Medicare's shifting of call panels could be good news for ED managers. Proposed change would allow community call arrangements.
While the news that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services likely will allow hospitals to establish community call arrangements sounds good for ED managers, you would be well advised to study the proposed new regulation carefully. There are many critical details an ED manager must be clear on to stay in compliance and avoid potential pitfalls. For example: Assessments of ambulance patients must begin while they are on a stretcher. You may need to engage an attorney or consultant to help you establish a pricing structure. In what some say is one of the biggest changes to EMTALA in 10 years, if you have a specialist on call who could handle a given case, you are now required to accept the patient under EMTALA.
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