July 1, 2009
Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the proposed physician fee schedule rule for 2010.
Highlights of the proposed Physician Fee Schedule include:
- A CY 2010 conversion factor of $28.3208
- A physician fee schedule update of -21.5% for CY 2010.
- A proposal to an increase in the equipment utilization assumption from 50% to 90% for equipment priced over one million dollars
- An announcement that CMS will analyze non-surgical codes furnished together more than 75% of the time to consider whether a Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction or bundling of services is most appropriate
- The addition of 22 new PQRI individual quality measures (Table 19) and 6 new measures groups (Tables 28-33) on which eligible professionals may report
- Includes endorsement criteria for quality measures and qualification requirements for registries
- Includes additional incentive payment determinations
- Details related to implementation of MIPPA accreditation standards for suppliers furnishing the technical component (TC) of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging services (diagnostic MRI, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, and positron emission tomography) effective January 1, 2012
- Payment for the TC of advanced diagnostic imaging services can only be paid to a supplier accredited by a CMS-designated independent accreditation organization
- CMS will publish a notice to solicit applications from entities interested in becoming designated accreditation organizations on or before November 1, 2009
- Solicitation of public comments by CMS regarding its signature requirement policies, as they relate to requisitions or orders, to document that a clinical laboratory test has been ordered
You may also access the CMS press release on the physician rule here
CMS issued a separate fact sheet regarding changes to the PQRI which can be found here
Comments on the proposed rule must be filed by August 31st. The final rule is expected to be issued by November 1, 2009.