ASTS is pleased to announce that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in its recent “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulatory Provisions To Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction” proposed rule, announced widespread changes to reduce the administrative burden and sharpen focus on patient care, including elimination of outcomes, data submission, and clinical experience requirements for transplant center re-approvals. Elimination of this requirement also makes the mitigating factors process unnecessary, so CMS is proposing to eliminate it.
ASTS is pleased that CMS has examined the overlapping requirements of CMS and the OPTN and is moving to reduce the administrative burden on transplant centers, which ASTS has pointed out in both comments and meetings with CMS representatives.
ASTS President Dixon B. Kaufman, MD, PhD, said, “We believe the proposed rule is a significant step in the right direction. ASTS is gratified that our work on this issue has contributed to this action. We look forward to continuing conversations with both CMS and the Health Resources and Services Administration/OPTN to identify and reduce duplicative regulatory requirements for transplant centers.”
ASTS will be submitting comments on the proposed rule before the November deadline.