The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) has reminded ASCs that new requirements for accessible medical diagnostic equipment take effect on Tuesday, July 8. ASCs that participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or other grant or funding programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and use the covered equipment will be required to comply.
“The requirements stem from a final rule released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2024 that updated and strengthened disability discrimination protections as outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,” writes ASCA Associate Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs Alex Taira, MHCI, in ASCA’s publication ASC Focus.
The HHS requirements seek to remove barriers and improve access to care for people with disabilities by addressing inaccessible medical equipment including examination tables, examination chairs, weight scales, mammography equipment, X-ray machines and other radiological equipment commonly used for diagnostic purposes, writes Mr. Taira. “Per the new requirements, covered providers must purchase, lease or acquire accessible medical diagnostic equipment until at least 10% of the total number of units (but no fewer than one unit) of each type of equipment in use is accessible,” he writes. “Facilities that use exam tables and weight scales must have at least one accessible exam table and one accessible weight scale. Facility staff must be qualified to successfully operate accessible medical diagnostic equipment, assist with transfers and ensure program accessibility.”
Mr. Taira notes that some ASCs might have difficulty regarding the cost of the accessibility upgrades, as well as finding the physical space to accommodate them. He states that HHS offers a compliance alternative known as “equivalent facilitation” in which specially designed equipment would not be required if the center can provide “similar accessibility to what would have been achieved with the specialty equipment.”
Requirements for some ASCs receiving HHS funding related to web and mobile accessibility through compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards have been delayed by a year, adds Mr. Taira. Facilities with 15 or more employees now will have until May 11, 2027, to comply, with smaller facilities having until May 10, 2028, to comply.
Read Mr. Taira’s full article here.
