Pennsylvania’s Patient Test Result Information Act, which is set to take effect December 23, 2018, requires diagnostic imaging services providers that identify a “significant abnormality” in their test results to
Continue Reading Diagnostic Imaging Services Must Follow Patient Reporting Obligations Under New PA Law
In what would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to many medical practices that rely on the Stark in-office ancillary services exception (which allows physicians to refer within their practices for
ACA requires that, with respect to referrals for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and any other Stark designated health services (DHS) specified by the Secretary of HHS, a referring physician must inform the patient in writing at the time of the referral that the patient may obtain the service from a person other than the referring physician.
Continue Reading CMS Proposes Regulations Clarifying Stark Imaging Disclosure Requirements
Under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), all Medicare suppliers of the technical component of advanced imaging services have until by January 1, 2012 to
Continue Reading Advanced Imaging Suppliers To be Accredited by January 2012
On July 1, 2009 CMS released a display copy of the Proposed FY 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. It is evident from a variety of the proposed policy changes that CMS intends to force primary care into a more prominent role – in some cases at the expense of specialists. In addition, imaging services in the office setting have been targeted for greater regulation and lower reimbursement
Among other things CMS is proposing to stop paying for consultation codes at a higher rate than equivalent evaluation and management (E/M) services. Practitioners would be required to use existing E/M service codes when providing these services instead. Resulting savings would be redistributed to increase payments for the existing E/M services.
CMS is proposing to increase the payment rates for the Initial Preventive Physical Exam (the “Welcome to Medicare” visit) to be more in line with payment rates for higher complexity services.
Overall, CMS believes these and other policy changes will result in an increase in payments to general practitioners, family physicians, internists, and geriatric specialists by between 6% and 8%.
Continue Reading Proposed FY 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: The Rise of Primary Care