Oncology device vendor RITA Medical Systems of Fremont, CA, reported that the American Medical Association (AMA) has assigned a new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, 50592, for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of renal tumors.
Following the AMA's action, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new national unadjusted payment rate relative value units(a) (RVU) calculations for both facility- and nonfacility-based percutaneous RFA treatment of renal tumors. The new CPT code and payment levels become effective on January 1, 2006, the company said.
CMS also reconfigured the 2006 hospital outpatient payment for RFA of liver tumors, RITA said. This reconfiguration resulted in a 35% increase over 2005 levels in hospital outpatient payments for percutaneous liver RFA procedures and a 55% increase over 2005 levels in hospital outpatient payments for laparoscopic liver RFA procedures. As with the new kidney RFA code, the new payment levels become effective on January 1 next year.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
November 23, 2005
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