Healthcare facilities that offer the latest in radiation therapy are being hit with the lowest Medicare reimbursement rates, according to an analysis in the upcoming Oncology Issues.
Hospitals that perform intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and high-dose radiation (HDR) have seen an 8.5% loss in revenue between 2003 to 2004, due in large part to the final outpatient prospective payment rule set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS). Currently, IMRT planning is reimbursed at $850, a $25 reduction since 2003, wrote consultant Lynn Jones of ELM Services in Rockville, MD (Oncology Issues, May/June 2004).
In addition to urging CMS to review its rules for radiation services, Jones recommended that hospitals pay closer attention to their coding habits, such as billing separately for the radiation source used in HDR treatment.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
May 25, 2004
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