Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) was joined by Representative Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) in introducing the Emergency Care Improvement Act. This bipartisan legislation will permanently expand access to emergency medical care for Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

“Since Medicare began recognizing Freestanding Emergency Centers, millions of seniors in Texas have benefitted from increased access to emergency care,” said Chairman Arrington. “Unfortunately, the care these facilities provide — often at a lower cost to the Medicare program than most hospital-based ERs —disappeared for thousands of seniors as the Biden administration failed to continue recognizing them. My legislation - the Emergency Care Improvement Act - will allow seniors to continue utilizing low-cost, high-quality FECs, spurring much-needed competition in our healthcare system.” 

“A person’s access to high quality health care should not be determined by their home address,” said Rep. Gonzalez. “This bipartisan piece of legislation ensures Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid beneficiaries may access the high-quality medical treatment provided by free standing emergency centers - expanding access and lowering cost for South Texans and patients across the country.”

“Growing financial, workforce, and access issues continue to strain the health care safety net, especially in rural areas, and federal policies are needed to help alleviate these pressures,” said Dr. Alison J. Haddock, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “ACEP is grateful to Representative Arrington and Representative Gonzalez for their continued leadership in reintroducing the Emergency Care Improvement Act to ensure that patients have access to freestanding emergency centers and the full range of emergency care they provide, just as they did during the public health emergency.” 

“FECs play an important role in our nation’s healthcare system by providing high-quality, cost-effective care to patients experiencing medical emergencies. With Medicare recognition, these facilities will also be well positioned to extend care to more rural communities,” said Rob Morris, President of the National Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers. “Recent research clearly shows how timely access to emergency care directly impacts clinical outcomes and health resource utilization. We are grateful for Rep. Arrington’s leadership in expanding access to quality emergency care for all Americans.”

Background:

• Freestanding Emergency Centers (FECs) are fully licensed emergency departments that are staffed by both Emergency Medicine trained physicians and registered nurses who are on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week and possess licensed pharmacies, clinical labs, and advanced imaging services. FECs are state-licensed and adhere to the same standards and provide the same level of care as Hospital Based Emergency Rooms (HBER), including state Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) regulations on treating all patients.
• To expand provider capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a waiver in April 2020 to allow FECs to enroll as Medicare-certified hospitals and receive Medicare reimbursement for the duration of the Public Health Emergency. 
• Over 110 FECs, mostly located in Texas, enrolled and have been providing high-quality emergency services for all kinds of emergency conditions, at a significant savings to the Medicare program, to thousands of Medicare beneficiaries.

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