The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) has sent two letters to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) providing feedback and recommendations for proposed 2021 fee changes.
The letter specifically addressed proposed rules for Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS).
In comments on HOPPS, MITA recommended increasing patient access to diagnostic procedures and ensuring equitable reimbursement for outpatient imaging services. MITA also critiqued the current Medicare policy of grouping diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and contrast agents as supplies in outpatient settings.
In comments on the PFS, MITA recommended delaying the implementation of planned changes to evaluation and management (E&M) payments. The alliance instead advised CMS to phase-in implementation of policy changes and cancel or delay the GPC1X add-on code.
