The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a memo allowing Medicare-enrolled Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) to temporarily enroll as hospitals during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) to increase hospital capacity. ASCs wishing to enroll as hospitals must notify their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) and submit a signed attestation statement. ASCs enrolled as hospitals must meet hospital Conditions of Participation, to the extent not waived, and will receive hospital payments instead of ASC payments. The CMS Regional Office (RO) will review the ASC's survey activity from the previous three years to determine if Immediate Jeopardy (IJ)-level deficiencies were cited. If no IJ-level deficiencies were found or were removed through the normal survey process, the CMS RO will approve the attestation statement and assign a hospital CMS Certification Number (CCN). An onsite survey is not required for approval, but the CMS RO may authorize a survey at a later date to ensure quality and safety. Once the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services determines there is no longer a PHE due to COVID-19, the CMS RO will terminate the hospital CCN and reinstate the ASC billing privileges.

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