Updated Hospital Conditions of Participation

Overview:

On November 27, 2024, CMS published significant revisions to regulations governing hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). While these regulatory changes are primarily aimed at increasing access to care, reducing maternal mortality, and improving health equity for maternal health patients, these and numerous other regulatory changes were buried within nearly 700 pages of the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rules. Changes in emergency readiness and transfers of pregnant, birthing and postpartum women will affect all hospitals and CAHs regardless of whether the facility provides obstetrical services. Other changes will only affect those hospitals and CAHs that provide obstetrical services including the establishment of Obstetrical Services Conditions of Participation (CoPs) including regulations on organization and staffing, delivery of service and staff training. Finally, there will be changes to the QAPI regulations requiring hospitals to assess and improve health outcomes among OB patients on an ongoing basis. These regulations will be phased in beginning on July 1, 2025, with final regulations effective on January 1, 2027.

This webinar will discuss the published regulations and CMS comments within the preamble and any additional information available at the time of the webinar. It is not known at this time when interpretative guidelines will be published.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify regulatory changes in emergency preparedness and transfer requirements that will affect all hospitals and CAHs.
• Describe the requirements of the new Obstetrical Service CoPs.
• Explain the changes needed in the hospital and CAH QAPI program, if they provide obstetrical services.
• Describe the phase-in period of the regulations.