The ACC submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the 2016 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. ACC's letter offers significant feedback regarding the rollout of appropriate use criteria requirements that begin in 2017, revisions to physician-self-referral regulations, ongoing updates to quality and value programs, and payment proposals of interest to ACC members. Read ACC's comments as well as a summary of the proposed rule on ACC.org.

The ACC also submitted comments on the 2016 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule released by CMS in July. The College supported changes to the enforcement of the short inpatient stay or "two-midnight" policy that direct quality improvement organizations to work with hospitals to reduce short stay rates prior to turning any claims over for payment denial. The ACC opposed polices related to the continued expansion of packaged payment and comprehensive ambulatory payment classifications, cautioning the agency on the effect these policies may have on patient access to care. The College also urged CMS to reconsider proposed changes to the imaging ambulatory payment classifications which impact hospital outpatient payment for cardiac MRI, PET, and SPECT services.

Final rules implementing, modifying or delaying these and other proposals will be issued on or around Nov. 1.

Keywords: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S., Fee Schedules, Medicaid, Medicare, Physician Self-Referral, Quality Improvement, Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

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