Some consultants have been informing urgent care administrators that since they are a hospital-owned urgent care center, they are now classified a type B emergency department. Simply being a hospital-owned facility, however, does not necessarily mean that your urgent care center meets the specific criteria outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for type B emergency departments.

Understanding the criteria for a Type-B Emergency Department

To qualify the urgent care center must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Licensing

The clinic is licensed by the state in which it is located under applicable state law as an emergency room or emergency department.

**Note: Only if your urgent care center is licensed as an emergency department would your urgent care center qualify under this criterion.