FEATURE
close which of the criteria makes the code ineligible for payment in the ASC setting. This makes it difficult for ASCs to marshal the data needed to challenge these decisions. ASCA continues to work with Congress to add transparency to the CMS review process by requiring CMS to dis- close which of the criteria triggers the exclusion. ASCA’s regulatory advocacy this
year will focus on providing CMS with more in-depth clinical informa- tion to prove that additional codes are safe for the ASC setting. You and all of the physicians in your ASC are the experts in this area, so ASCA will rely on your input to assist with these efforts. Preventing barriers to colorec- tal cancer screening for Medicare patients: Under current law, Medi- care waives coinsurance and deduct- ibles for colonoscopies. When a polyp is discovered and removed, the pro- cedure is reclassified as therapeutic for Medicare billing purposes and patients are required to pay the coin- surance. ASCA supports eliminat- ing unexpected costs for Medicare beneficiaries when a polyp is discov- ered and removed to ensure that unex- pected copays do not deter a patient from having the screening performed. Quality reporting requirements: ASC community coalesced
The
behind a group of stakeholders a decade ago to develop, test and seek endorsement of measures specific to the ASC setting. ASCA appreciates the work CMS has done to implement the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program and will continue to work to ensure that the program does not become overly burdensome for ASCs. Although in its infancy, the ASCQR Program is already complex, fea- turing different data collection time frames, data submission deadlines and data submission methodologies.
Stay Informed
ASCA works hard to ensure that all of its members receive the most up-to-date information possible about what is happening in the federal policy making arena. In addition to regular articles in ASC Focus magazine, special email alerts and public announcements, ASCA delivers a weekly “Government Affairs Update” e-newsletter to members’ inboxes every Thursday. This newsletter covers the most pressing ASC issues in Washington, DC, and the states. If you are not already receiving that news, please write
kmurphy@ascassociation.org.
CMS recently mandated that
ASCs must begin to use the Con- sumer Assessment of Healthcare Pro- viders and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery (OAS CAHPS) Survey beginning in 2018. This sur- vey aims to measure the patient experience of care within ASCs and HOPDs. ASCs will be required to survey a random sample of eligible patients (most patients 18 and older are eligible) monthly and collect at least 300 completed surveys over a 12-month reporting period. The sur- vey is 37 questions long. ASCA has advocated for shorten- ing the survey and making its admin- istration less burdensome for ASCs. The association will continue to work with CMS to promote a patient
satisfaction survey that provides meaningful data to patients, ASCs and CMS. ASCA also will continue to express concerns with the survey to CMS and pursue changes to the requirements before the survey is fully implemented in 2018. In today’s somewhat chaotic polit- ical and policy climate, two things remain certain: Washington, DC, will continue to play a critical role in health care policy, and ASCA will continue to support policies nation- wide that support ASCs in continuing to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care. For the most recent information on ASCA’s federal advocacy efforts, go to
www.ascassociation.org.
ASC FOCUS FEBRUARY 2017 15
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