According to an October 30 press release by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on January 1, 2010 CMS will institute a 1% cut to radiation oncology payments. The following three years, 2011-2013, will see cuts as well, totaling a 5% decrease from the current rates on January 1, 2014.
This is in stark contrast to the original CMS plan of the much larger 19% cut for radiation oncologists.
ACRO will review the entire Federal Rule and submit comments as necessary.
To view a copy of the final rule with comment period, please click here.
CMS has also authored a fact sheet outlining the e prescribing and PQRI provision. This document can be accessed by clicking here.
Your Dues Dollars at Work!
Since the release of the proposed 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. Over 30 members of the U.S. Senate 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. 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.
Thank you for the support and the attention that you paid to the issue this summer, the letters and efforts of ACRO had a direct impact on the entire radaition oncology community, despite the earlier announcements by ASTRO, ACR and others that claimed sole responsibility . Thank you!
For more information on how you can help protect our specialty, please click here.
Michael Kuettel, MD, PhD, FACROPresidentAmerican College of Radiation Oncology |
