Originally posted to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Headlines e-mail list on 8/8/05.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a proposed rate increase of 3.2% for services in hospital-based outpatient departments in 2006. However, two regularly utilized audiology CPT procedures are scheduled for substantial rate changes because a shift to a different Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) has been proposed for each procedure. Proposed payment for caloric irrigations (CPT 92543 - billed once) would essentially double in payment from $49.31 to $97.21 and visual evoked potential (CPT 95930) would increase by 140% to $157.87.
While audiology and most other services are paid under the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS), speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy services in hospital outpatient settings are exempt and paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule. Comments on the OPPS proposed rule are due to CMS by September 16. For further information, please contact Mark Kander, ASHA's Director of Health Care Regulatory Analysis, via e-mail at mkander@asha.org or by phone at 800-498-2071, ext. 4139.
Reprinted by permission of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
