(a) Medicare Part B pays for therapeutic hospital or CAH services and supplies furnished incident to a physician's or nonphysician practitioner's service, which are defined as all services and supplies furnished to hospital or CAH outpatients that are not diagnostic services and that aid the physician or nonphysician practitioner in the treatment of the patient, including drugs and biologicals which are not usually self-administered, if—

(1) They are furnished—

(i) By or under arrangements made by the participating hospital or CAH, except in the case of a SNF resident as provided in §411.15(p) of this subchapter;

(ii) As an integral although incidental part of a physician's or nonphysician practitioner's services;

(iii) In the hospital or CAH or in a department of the hospital or CAH, as defined in §413.65 of this subchapter;

(iv) Under the general supervision (or other level of supervision as specified by CMS for the particular service) of a physician or a nonphysician practitioner as specified in paragraph (g) of this section, subject to the following requirements:

(A) For services furnished in the hospital or CAH, or in an outpatient department of the hospital or CAH, both on and off-campus, as defined in §413.65 of this chapter, general supervision means the definition specified at §410.32(b)(3)(i).

(B) Certain therapeutic services and supplies may be assigned either direct supervision or personal supervision. For purposes of this section, direct supervision means that the physician or nonphysician practitioner must be immediately available to furnish assistance and direction throughout the performance of the procedure. It does not mean that the physician or nonphysician practitioner must be present in the room when the procedure is performed. Personal supervision means the definition specified at §410.32(b)(3)(iii);

(C) Nonphysician practitioners may provide the required supervision of services that they may personally furnish in accordance with State law and all additional requirements, including those specified in §§410.71, 410.73, 410.74, 410.75, 410.76, and 410.77;

(D) For pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, and intensive cardiac rehabilitation services, direct supervision must be furnished by a doctor of medicine or a doctor of osteopathy, as specified in §§410.47 and 410.49, respectively. For purposes of this section, direct supervision means that the physician or nonphysician practitioner must be immediately available to furnish assistance and direction throughout the performance of the procedure. It does not mean that the physician or nonphysician practitioner must be present in the room when the procedure is performed. During a Public Health Emergency, as defined in §400.200 of this chapter, the presence of the physician includes virtual presence through audio/video real-time communications technology when use of such technology is indicated to reduce exposure risks for the beneficiary or health care provider; and

(E) For nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic services (extended duration services), which are hospital or CAH outpatient therapeutic services that can last a significant period of time, have a substantial monitoring component that is typically performed by auxiliary personnel, have a low risk of requiring the physician's or appropriate nonphysician practitioner's immediate availability after the initiation of the service, and are not primarily surgical in nature, Medicare requires a minimum of direct supervision during the initiation of the service which may be followed by general supervision at the discretion of the supervising physician or the appropriate nonphysician practitioner. Initiation means the beginning portion of the nonsurgical extended duration therapeutic service which ends when the patient is stable and the supervising physician or the appropriate nonphysician practitioner determines that the remainder of the service can be delivered safely under general supervision. During a Public Health Emergency, as defined in §400.200 of this chapter, Medicare requires a minimum level of general supervision for the entire service; and

(v) In accordance with applicable State law.

(2) In the case of partial hospitalization services, also meet the conditions of paragraph (e) of this section.

(b) Drugs and biologicals are also subject to the limitations specified in §410.129.

(c) Rules on emergency services furnished to outpatients by nonparticipating hospitals are specified in subpart G of Part 424 of this chapter.

(d) Rules on emergency services furnished to outpatients in a foreign country are specified in subpart H of Part 424 of this chapter.

(e) Medicare Part B pays for partial hospitalization services if they are—

(1) Prescribed by a physician who certifies and recertifies the need for the services in accordance with subpart B of part 424 of this chapter; and

(2) Furnished under a plan of treatment as required under subpart B of part 424 of this chapter.

(f) Services furnished by an entity other than the hospital are subject to the limitations specified in §410.42(a).

(g) For purposes of this section, “nonphysician practitioner'” means a clinical psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or certified nurse-midwife.

[76 FR 74580, Nov. 30, 2011, as amended at 78 FR 75196, Dec. 10, 2013; 84 FR 61490, Nov. 12, 2019; 85 FR 8476, Feb. 14, 2020; 85 FR 19285, Apr. 6, 2020]