A new Medicare rule requiring physicians to disclose when they refer patients for ancillary services provided in their own offices under the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) has gone into effect as of January 1.
The requirement mandates that when physicians refer a patient for imaging services -- CT, MR, or PET -- at a site where they have an ownership interest, they must disclose that they may financially gain from providing this service. They must also give the patient a list that includes five other suppliers within a 25-mile radius of the physician's office location at the time of the referral.
Requiring physicians to disclose ownership interest will be helpful in addressing the problem of imaging overutilization via self-referral, according to Shawn Farley, a spokesman for the American College of Radiology (ACR) in Reston, VA.
"We consider the rule a good first step toward addressing unnecessary utilization that studies show is often associated with self-referral. Research has shown that there is no significant patient benefit to the practice of self-referral," Farley told AuntMinnie.com. "We look forward to working with Congress, payors, and other stakeholders to address this important issue moving forward."
Related Reading
CMS posts final MPFS, HOPPS rules for 2011, November 12, 2010
CMS proposes 2.15% increase in HOPPS, July 14, 2010
CMS pitches 90% use rate in proposed 2010 MPFS rule, July 1, 2009
CMS to raise hospital outpatient payments 3%, July 8, 2008
CMS delays Medicare payments due to SGR impasse, July 1, 2008
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