Advocacy News

The Society for Vascular Ultrasound continues to be in the forefront of efforts to address regulatory and legislative issues that have a tremendous impact on key vascular ultrasound issues. Check e-Spectrum for the latest monthly updates. Below is an index to news and comments to government including a section on local medical review policies (LMRPs).

If you have any questions or comments regarding SVU's Government Relations program, please email govtrelations@svunet.org.

Recent News

• Scheduled Medicare Physician Payment Cut Frozen by HHS as Congress Leaves on Holiday Recess 07/08
• CMS Proposes Payment, Policy Changes for Physicians’ Services in 2009 07/08
• SVU Advocacy Committee Update Session to be held in San Diego 06/08
• Palmetto GBA Selected by CMS as New A/B Medicare Administrative Contractor for Jurisdiction 1 05/08
• CARE Bill Focus Moves to Senate Finance Committee 05/08
• Revised Senate HELP Committee Approves the CARE Bill 04/08
• SVU and the Oregon Licensure Bill 04/08
• CMS Institutes Change to ABN 04/08
• 0.5 percent Increase in Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2008 03/08
• SVU Continues to Monitor Oregon Licensure Bill 03/08
• Possible Oregon State Licensure Bill for Medical Imaging, including Vascular Technology 02/08
• Medical imaging coalition letter sent by SDMS to the OBRT (.pdf) 02/08
• CARE Bill Not Passed in First Session of the 110th Congress 01/08
• Additional Medical Imaging Cuts Averted in New U.S. Budget 01/08
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Discourages Screening for Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis 01/08
• SVU Continues to Urge Member Support of CARE Bill 12/07
• Health Care Professionals to Participate In “Virtual March” for Patient Safety Legislation — the CARE Bill 11/07
• CMS Publishes Stark Phase III Final Rule 11/07
• SVU Urges Member Support of CARE Bill 10/01/07
  Letter Writing Fact Sheet for CARE Bill (.doc) (.pdf)
• MedPAC Supports Exceptions Process for Marketing Drug Bundle 10/01/07

Proposed Rule issued by CMS for 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The proposed rule calls for an estimated update to the physician fee schedule for 2008 of a minus 9.9 percent. Now it is up to Congress, as they have done in recent years, to intervene and prevent the implementation of the negative reimbursement update for physicians for 2008. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until August 31, 2007; SVU will work with Bill Sarraille in submitting comments on the proposed rule. Read the report...

GAO Report

GAO Issues Report that Supports Credentialing and/or Accreditation for Medicare Ultrasound Procedures (06/28/07)

Deficit Reduction Act

CMS Announces Final Rule for the 2007 Physician Fee Schedule Rates and Policies

Sidley Austin, SVU's regulatory/legislative advocacy firm, has written a qualitative analysis of the final physician fee schedule (PFS) and hospital outpatient department (HOPD) rules for 2007. The rules implement, effective 1/01/07, the image cuts found in the Deficit Reduction Act, but the PFS final rule excludes several ultrasound codes not initially excluded in the PFS proposed rule.

Click here for more information on the 2007 final rule and how to determine your 2007 payment rate.

CMS Proposed Rule on Medicare Physician Fee

CMS issued a proposed rule on Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2007 and additional rules for Medicare payment for hospital outpatient services in 2007 that would implement new steps to make "payments more accurate and to promote higher quality and value in outpatient care."

CMS Fact Sheet

Proposed changes for payment for imaging services under the Physician Fee Schedule required by the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) Read Fact Sheet 08/08/06

CMS News Release

CMS proposes changes to policies and payment for outpatient services; new steps to increase value in hospital outpatient care, with major revisions of Ambulatory Surgical Centers payments Read News Release 08/08/06

More Information

• Legislation Introduced in Congress to Address DRA Reimbursement Cuts 08/09/06
• Status of the Deficit Reduction Act 03/03/06
• House Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill/Health Subcommittee Hearing to be held on Medicare Reimbursement Cuts for Imaging Services 02/03/06
• Update on SVU's Ongoing Efforts Regarding the Budget Reconciliation Bill 01/18/06
• CPT Codes Affected by the Budget Reconciliation Bill 01/18/06
• SVU Spreadsheet on the Impact of the Proposed Ultrasound Procedures Reimbursement Cuts in the Budget Reconciliation Act 01/12/06 (MS Excel, 28k)
• Deficit Reduction Bill Contains Reimbursement Provisions that are Disastrous to the Vascular Ultrasound Profession 01/05/06
• Physician Fee Schedule and HOPPS Rates for 2006 MEMBERS ONLY (11/16/05)

Physician Fee Schedule

• 2006 Ultrasound Procedures Reimbursement Cut Spreadsheet (MS Excel, 28k)
• Calculate Your 2005 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Reimbursement (09/04)
• CMS Announces Physician Payment Increases in Final Physician Payment Rule for 2005 11/03/04
• CMS Announces 2004 Physician Fee Schedule 12/31/03
• SVU/SDMS Comments to CMS re: 2004 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PDF/17k) 10/8/03

See archive for more...