U.S. physicians who provide radiation services for cancer patients have a long-running feud with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services over a series of payment rate cuts for their services, but these medical societies are now teaming up to address the issue. These medical societies are making the case that payment reform is not only critical for the future of radiation oncology but are also optimistic that congressional interest in the dilemma has quickened sufficiently to suggest that a congressional response may be on tap in 2024.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule for data interoperability and prior authorization (PA) for health plans, which is designed in part to improve the PA process used by payers.
Intravascular ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for a number of procedures conducted on the circulatory system, including some procedures performed in the peripheral vasculature, but adoption is seen in some quarters as sub-optimal. A trio of medical journals have published a consensus statement pressing the case for more widespread utilization of IVUS for peripheral artery disease, but one of the sources of drag is poor Medicare reimbursement, a problem that might only be resolved in a piecemeal fashion.
