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ACC, ASE Succeed in Influencing Final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
The final 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule, released last night, includes both good news and bad news for cardiology.
In a major victory for cardiology, CMS’s proposal to bundle CPT 93325 (Color Flow Doppler) into all other echocardiography procedures was NOT included in the final rule. The ACC, along with the American Society of Echocardiography, have worked tirelessly to have this proposal removed.
The bad news is that the annual revision of payments for physician services includes the expected 10.1 percent cut to the Medicare conversion factor. Unless Congress acts, under the provisions of the rule, cardiologists could face even more cuts depending on the mix of services provided. Key provisions impacting cardiology include:
- Another round of cuts for many cardiovascular imaging procedures and diagnostic tests as a result of the four-year transition to CMS’s new practice expense formula.
- The announcement of interim values for a set of eight new CPT codes for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging procedures.
- Payment caps for the technical component of several in-office diagnostic imaging services, including duplex scans of the extracranial arteries and lower extremity arteries, as a result of continued implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA).
The final rule also details the 2008 performance measures for the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). Click here for more on the final rule. ACC staff will continue analyzing the rule and its impact on cardiology and will release more details soon.
Final HOPPS Rule Released
Meanwhile, the final Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) rule was released today. While the rule for the most part does not impact physician payment, it does affect the resources available to support services performed by cardiovascular specialists in the hospital outpatient setting. Key provisions of the HOPPS Final Rule include:
- Bundling of several key cardiovascular imaging procedures
- Packaging of radiopharmaceuticals in the HOPPS payment for nuclear medicine procedures
- Quality reporting requirements for hospital outpatient departments
What You Can Do
The release of the final Medicare Physician Fee Schedule underscores the need for all members to contact their senators and representatives as soon as possible and tell them to stop the scheduled 10 percent cut from taking effect on Jan. 1. You can reach your members using the ACC’s toll-free grassroots hotline (800-210-7193) or by going to www.acc.org/can. An all-member call to discuss the final rule, as well as legislation on Capitol Hill, is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 3:30 p.m. EST. Click here to register for the call.
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