Moratorium on Classification of Long-Term Care Hospitals

The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act (MMSEA) (Pub. L. 110-173), enacted December 29, 2007, establishes a three-year moratorium on the designation of new long-term care hospitals (LTCH) or satellites, and on an increase of beds in an LTCH. The statute creates certain limited exceptions to the moratorium. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services adopted an Interim Final Rule with Comments on May 22, 2008 (73 FR 29699) to implement the LTCH moratorium provisions of the MMSEA. CMS Regional Offices will determine whether a facility qualifies for an exception to the moratorium.