December 22, 2008
Philips Healthcare has objected to the payment rates that CMS has set for several echocardiography procedures under its final physician fee schedule that goes into effect on January 1, 2009. Philips expressed its concerns in comments filed with the agency.
The concerns centered on decisions by CMS to include separate echocardiography services into combined CPT procedural codes and to undervalue the costs of providing those services. The Philips comments expressed concerns about payments for:
- Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with spectral and color flow Doppler: Philips objected to the fact that the combined payment for the two procedures will be less that the sum of the individual procedures when billed separately. In calculating the payment, CMS should give greater weight to the sonographer time required for the procedures and the equipments costs involved, according to Philips.
- Stress ECG with Stress Echocardiogram: Once again, the combined payment for the two procedures is less than the sum of the individual procedures, according to Philips, reflecting significant underestimates of the cost of the equipment required.
To read the comments, 
click here.
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