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Proposed RuleSignificant07-32742007-07-12

Medicare Program; Proposed Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule, and Other Part B Payment Policies for CY 2008; Proposed Revisions to the Payment Policies of Ambulance Services Under the Ambulance Fee Schedule for CY 2008; and the Proposed Elimination of the E-Prescribing Exemption for Computer-Generated Facsimile Transmissions

Health and Human Services Department, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Abstract

This proposed rule would address certain provisions of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as well as make other proposed changes to Medicare Part B payment policy. We are proposing these changes to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services. This proposed rule also discusses refinements to resource-based practice expense (PE) relative value units (RVUs); geographic practice cost indices (GPCI) changes; malpractice RVUs; requests for additions to the list of telehealth services; several coding issues including additional codes from the 5-Year Review; payment for covered outpatient drugs and biologicals; the competitive acquisition program (CAP); clinical lab fee schedule issues; payment for renal dialysis services; performance standards for independent diagnostic testing facilities; expiration of the physician scarcity area (PSA) bonus payment authorized by section 413 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA); conforming and clarifying changes for comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities (CORFs); a process for updating the drug compendia at section 1861(t)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act); physician self-referral issues; beneficiary signature for ambulance transport services; durable medical equipment (DME) update; the chiropractic services demonstration; a Medicare economic index (MEI) data change; technical corrections; issues related to therapy services; revisions to the ambulance fee schedule; the ambulance inflation factor for CY 2008; and the proposal to eliminate the exemption for computer-generated facsimile transmissions from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) SCRIPT standard for transmitting prescription and certain prescription-related information for Part D eligible individuals.

Action & Dates

Action
Proposed rule.
Dates
To be assured consideration, except for comments on section II.M.10 of the preamble, comments must be received at one of the adresses provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, August 31, 2007.

CFR References

Topics

Administrative practice and procedureEmergency medical servicesGrant programs-healthHealth facilitiesHealth maintenance organizations (HMO)Health professionsHealth recordsHospice careHospitalsKidney diseasesLaboratoriesMedicaidMedicareNursing homesNutritionPenaltiesPrivacyReporting and recordkeeping requirementsRural areasSafetyX-rays

Public Comment

Comments Close
2007-08-31

Document Excerpt

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 409, 410, 411, 413, 414, 415, 418, 423, 424, 482, 484, 485, and 491 [CMS-1385-P] RIN 0938-AO65 AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: This proposed rule would address certain provisions of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as well as make other proposed changes to Medicare Part B payment policy. We are proposing these changes to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services. This proposed rule also discusses refinements to resource-based practice expense (PE) relative value units (RVUs); geographic practice cost indices (GPCI) changes; malpractice RVUs; requests for additions to the list of telehealth services; several coding issues including additional codes from the 5-Year Review; payment for covered outpatient drugs and biologicals; the competitive acquisition program (CAP); clinical lab fee schedule issues; payment for renal dialysis services; performance standards for independent diagnostic testing facilities; expiration of the physician scarcity area (PSA) bonus payment authorized by section 413 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA); conforming and clarifying changes for comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities (CORFs); a process for updating the drug compendia at section 1861(t)(2)

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Full Document

Citation: 72 FR 38122