In mid-July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) seeking comment on "Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Low Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model." 

ASA submitted formal comments on the proposed rule, offering feedback on a number of provisions impacting anesthesiology:

• Medicare Telehealth Services
• Potentially Misvalued Services
• Collecting Data on Resources Used in Furnishing Global Services
• Valuation of Specific Services:
  • Paravertebral Block Injection
  • Anesthesia Services Furnished in Conjunction with Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Procedures
  • Endotracheal Intubation
  • Epidural Injections
  • Implantation of Neuroelectrodes
  • Fluoroscopic Guidance
  • Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Participants Who Report Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Quality Measures Separately

Read ASA's overview of the proposed rule