Even as broad
changes to the health care system are contemplated by the U.S. Congress, our
specialty continues to be in jeopardy due to the drastic cuts to radiation
oncology contained in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
CY 2010 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed (PFS) Rule.
Because of faulty
data manipulation and methodologies utilized in the Physician Practice
Information Survey (PPIS) and a flawed policy on equipment utilization that
does not distinguish between diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, the
Proposed Rule would have a devastating impact on radiation oncology.
The overall impact from the rule is a 19
percent reduction for radiation oncology in aggregate and cuts of up to 44
percent or more for some codes critical to the provision of radiation
therapy in freestanding centers.
Clearly, cuts of this magnitude could force many freestanding radiation
therapy centers to close their doors.
Since the release
of the rule this past July, ACRO has worked non-stop to reverse the cuts. To date, ACRO has worked with others in the
radiation oncology community to accomplish the following:
-Capps/Myrick/Griffith/Rogers
Letter to HHS. On August 17, 2009, 63 members of the U.S.
House of Representatives sent a letter to Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius protesting the cuts to radiation oncology and
the flaws in the Proposed Rule relating to equipment utilization and the PPIS.
-Lincoln/Burr
Letter to HHS. As of this week, over 30 members of the U.S.
Senate have signed a letter to Secretary Sebelius urging that radiation therapy
be excluded from the equipment utilization policy in the Proposed Rule and
raising concerns with the PPIS.
-Lincoln
Amendment to the Senate Finance Health Reform Bill.
Last week, Senator Lincoln filed an amendment to the health reform bill
under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee. The amendment would overturn the Proposed Rule's application of
the equipment utilization policy to radiation therapy. It also raises serious concerns regarding
the PPIS based on studies commissioned by ACRO.
The introduction
of the Lincoln Amendment is a significant recognition of our issue, but much
more still needs to be done. I urge you
and all ACRO members to continue the fight by contacting your Senators and
Representatives to ask them to support the Lincoln Amendment in the Senate and
similar provisions in the House Health Reform Bill to overturn the equipment
utilization's application to radiation therapy and fix the PPIS.
It is critical that
ACRO's membership continue to weigh in with Congress through the release of
CMS's Final CY 2010 PFS Rule on November 1, 2009.
For more
information on how you can help protect our specialty, please click here.
Michael Kuettel,
MD, PhD, FACRO
President American College of Radiation Oncology
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