On Thu Mar 1, 2012, CMS issued a notice in the Federal Register inviting independent accreditation organizations to apply to become a CMS-designated accreditation organization for accrediting suppliers furnishing the technical component (TC) of advanced diagnostic imaging services. The notice also includes the application guidelines for approval of organizations wishing to accredit these suppliers. The solicitation is limited to accrediting organizations that have not previously applied to participate in the advanced diagnostic imaging supplier accreditation program. Applications will be accepted through Tue May 1, 2012.
Section 135 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) required all suppliers of the TC of certain advanced diagnostic imaging services, including diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and nuclear medicine – including positron emission tomography, to be accredited by a CMS-designated accreditation organization in order to receive Medicare payment for these services on or after Sun Jan 1, 2012. This accreditation requirement applies only to the suppliers furnishing the imaging services, and not to the physician’s interpretation of the images. On Thu Jan 28, 2010, after reviewing applications from prospective accrediting organizations to participate in the program, CMS announced that it was designating three national accreditation organizations – the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), and The Joint Commission (TJC) – to accredit suppliers of the TC of advanced diagnostic imaging services. The notice issued today allows additional organizations an opportunity to apply to become a CMS-designated accreditation organization under the program. It does not affect the three CMS-designated organizations, which will continue to participate in the program. ________________________________ It’s Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that patients, healthcare workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine—Not the Flu. Remember – The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ________________________________ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
