Committee approves rule change to rely on CMS hospital certification for Idaho licensing

The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a rule docket that removes certain state hospital licensing requirements and relies on federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certification as sufficient for Idaho licensure.

Jared Larson, legislative and regulatory affairs chief for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, told the committee the temporary docket contains rules the Legislature approved last session; the item before the committee keeps those temporary rules in effect through July 1. Larson said the department’s intent is to repeal duplicative state rules that are no more restrictive than federal CMS standards and to move any policy decisions back to the Legislature.

Larson said the department is working with Senator Blaylock on legislation that would transfer the necessary components of the rules into statute. Senator Maryanne Wintrow asked whether the change would affect patient eligibility or access; Larson said it would not change eligibility or access.

The committee approved the hospital-rule docket by voice vote. The department said hospitals seeking CMS reimbursement will still be subject to federal inspection and certification requirements; the rule change removes overlapping state regulation rather than relaxing federal standards.

The action is part of a broader departmental effort described by Larson to reduce administrative rule burdens where federal certification already governs licensing and to return policy decisions to the Legislature.