Congratulations and Thanks to ACR Members: CMS Will Not Apply MPPR To Group Practices In 2012
Reston, VA (Dec. 19, 2011) - Due to intensive educational efforts by the American College of Radiology, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has informed the ACR that “operational limitations” will prevent them from applying the imaging professional component Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction (MPPR) to group practices beginning January 1, 2012. Therefore, CMS will not apply the professional component MPPR for imaging services performed by separate physicians in the same group practice for 2012. This decision will affect both office and hospital practices.
Application of a 25 percent MPPR to the professional component of diagnostic imaging services performed by the same physician, to the same patient, during the same session remains the same. However, the ACR will continue its legislative efforts to block the entire professional component MPPR through enactment of H.R. 3269. There are now 150 co-sponsors for this bill.
“I am proud of the tremendous effort exerted by more than 7000 ACR members to contact CMS and explain the flaws in its original ruling. I’m also very gratified and encouraged by the grassroots efforts of our members in gaining support from 150 members of Congress for H.R 3269,” said John A. Patti, MD, FACR, Chairman of the ACR Board of Chancellors. “While the fate of this bill is still uncertain in 2011, if not adopted this year, it is still alive and gaining more support for the next session” said Dr. Patti.
“In addition to our members, I would like to thank the stellar ACR economics team of physicians and staff who spent countless hours developing strategy, collating supporting data, and meeting with CMS officials to achieve this unusual and extraordinary policy reversal,” said Bibb Allen Jr, MD,FACR, Chairman of the ACR Commission on Economics.
