ACR Urges CMS to Reconsider Provisions in 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final rule
On Dec. 28, 2007, the American College of Radiology (ACR) submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Among these comments, the ACR urged CMS to:
- Reconsider coverage for four of the eight new cardiac MRI codes under the MFS that CMS decided against covering in 2008
- Adopt the eight new AQA Alliance (formerly the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance) approved radiology measures at the earliest possible time
- Publish a proposed rule to provide changes to the Stark in-office ancillary services exception as soon as possible.
- Publish its Final Rule implementing other reassignment rules and self-referral provisions proposals early in CY 2008
The ACR also expressed support for CMS in their decisions to:
- Implement its proposal prohibiting the sharing of space or equipment by an IDTF with any other Medicare-enrolled provider or entity
- Extend the anti-markup rule to both the technical component and the professional component of diagnostic tests
Click here to read the ACR comments to CMS in their entirety.
The ACR will continue to inform members of any CMS actions or decisions of note. Please visit the ACR Web site on a regular basis for updates.