Medical trade associations sound the alarm as the CMS begins considering less stringent rules for maintenance of hospital equipment.

Healthcare trade groups are pushing back against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, asking the federal healthcare agency to reconsider policies that would relax maintenance protocols for certain hospital-based medical devices.

CMS has yet to issue a proposal, but has begun gathering string on a potential policy-change for hospital imaging technology and radiation therapy systems, The Hill reported. Word is that the new proposal would require less testing and fewer inspections than what is generally recommended by equipment manufacturers.