Medicare contractor reform
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
HHS may move ahead with implementation of the ICD-10-PCS inpatient coding system if the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics does not make a recommendation on the system under the "Medicare Contracting & Regulatory Reform Act" of 2003 (HR 810). The provision, also included in the "Medicare Innovation Responsiveness Act" of 2003 (HR 941), was added during a House Ways & Means Committee mark-up April 2. HR 810 also requires that CMS develop methods to determine the basis of payment for new clinical lab tests and establishes a Council for Technology & Innovation at the agency (1"The Gray Sheet" March 24, 2003, p. 14)...