CMS passes Absent Frequency Bill

Washington D.C. - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the passages of the Absent Frequency Bill, a controversial bill that bans physicians, notably emergency room physicians and hospitalists, from ordering any medicine on a frequency for admitted patients..

As noted by a press release: "No longer will physicians be allowed to order Q4, Q6, QID, TID, or Q1 hour breathing treatments.  Physicians will also be banned from ordering serial labs and EKGs.  This will be significant, because, over the past several years, hospitalists have become famous for ordering, for instance, QAM EKGs until discharge.  No more will this occur."

L. Buterol, director for cardiopulmonary services at Breatheasy Medical Center (BMC), said the new law "may hurt the overall department because it will result in fewer procedure counts.  However, our therapists are excited about it because they believe it will result in less burnout and apathy."

What will happen now is doctors will be forced to order as needed (PRN) therapies.  This will require increased responsibility for both physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists.  For instance, rather than just deciding that a patient will be short of breath every four hours, physicians will have to rely on nurses and therapists to assess and treat when needed.  This will be a serious moral booster.

"It will also save a ton of money for hospitals," said Mike Olin, president of RATS NEST.  "No longer will physicians be required to order a bunch of needless procedures just so the hospital can get reimbursed. With CMS generally paying a flat fee for patient stays, hospitals have been eating this cost.  No more. Woo hoo!  W'hat a great day for both the medical community and the RT community."

T'he RT Cave will keep you posted on how this is accepted by the medical community, or whether or not it can even be enforced.  Or, perhaps this is all just a pipe dream.