The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance last month providing clarity on how Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) may leverage space sharing arrangements with other healthcare entities, such as private physician practices, to increase access to care and services within the community, while maintaining independent compliance with all applicable Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Because CAHs must maintain a specified distance from another hospital or CAH, they cannot share space with these types of facilities. This guidance explains how a CAH may share space with other types of health care providers through either a ‘time share’ arrangement or a ‘leased space’ arrangement and meet requirements of their CoPs.
