Superstorm Sandy: CMS, HHS Issue Waivers for Some Regulatory Requirements

​In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued blanket waivers for certain requirements for all hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospice and end-stage renal disease facilities in the areas of New York and New Jersey that were affected by the storm. The waivers, which facilities do not need to apply for individually, authorize the states to process requests for certified bed increases by hospitals or nursing homes and waive the three-day prior-hospitalization requirement for Medicare coverage of a skilled nursing facility stay, certain data transmission requirements for skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies, and certain aide supervision requirements for home health and hospice providers.