Also in the FY 2008 Inpatient Rule...
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
New tech add-ons: 2008 will be the first year since CMS began accepting applications in 2002 that the agency will not grant any new technology add-on payments. To qualify for a bonus payment, a technology must be "new" (on the market less than three years), meet a high-cost threshold, and show "substantial clinical improvement" over existing treatments.
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Also In The Inpatient Comments...
Capital payments: In fiscal year 2008, CMS decided to discontinue a 3% add-on payment for hospitals in large urban areas, and phase out the capital adjustment for indirect medical education (IME) over three years ("The Gray Sheet" Aug. 6, 2007, p. 7). The American Hospital Association (AHA) says in June 9 comments that the reductions - which it estimates at close to $2 billion over five years - will make it more difficult for hospitals to buy advanced technology and equipment and invest in health IT. AdvaMed notes that the cuts have a "disproportionate impact" on teaching hospitals, which it says play "a critical role in the development and dissemination of medical innovations." AdvaMed asks CMS to defer additional reductions, while making any changes budget neutral and returning the funds to all hospitals as a group. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), meanwhile, recommends a greater reduction to IME payments.
Cosmetic And Personal Care Trademark Review: 16 April
Personal care and cosmetic product trademark filings compiled from the Official Gazette of the US Patent and Trademark Office, Class 3.
Health And Wellness Weekly Trademarks Review: 16 April
Trademarks are registered and published for opposition with the US Patent and Trademark Office and are published weekly in the agency's Official Gazette.