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CY 2022 MPFS and OPPS Final Rule with Vascular Lab Impact

By Kelly Byrnes, FSVU, RVT, BS posted Mon November 15, 2021 01:18:37 PM

  

Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule on November 2nd. The SVU has created this initial review of provisions within the final rule that affect vascular lab reimbursement.

Conversion Factor

The CY 2022 conversion factor is $33.59 compared to the 2021 conversion factor of $34.89. The conversion factor reflects the statutory update of zero percent and the adjustment necessary to account for changes in relative value units (RVUs) and expenditures that would result from finalized policies. Last year, Congress provided a 3.75 percent payment increase to avert significant Medicare physician payment cuts. This provision is set to expire at the end of 2021 unless Congress steps in again.

Clinical Labor Pricing Update

CMS is moving forward with the 4-year implementation of the clinical labor pricing updates, beginning 2022 and ending in 2025. CMS has revised their initial proposed methodology:

  • CMS will apply the 2019 fringe benefits multiplier (1.296) instead of using the 2002 benefits multiplier (1.366).
  • CMS will use median wage data instead of the mean wage data.

FINAL Clinical Labor Pricing Update

Labor code

Labor Description

Current Rate Per Minute

Updated Rate Per Minute

Y1 Phase-In Rate Per Minute

Total % Change

L054A

Vascular Technologist

0.54

0.91

0.63

69%

L050B

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

0.50

0.77

0.57

54%

L050A

Cardiac Sonographer

0.50

0.77

0.57

54%

 

Relevant Links:

Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)

CMS also released the CY 2022 OPPS final rule with comment period on November 2nd. Most of the vascular lab codes fall into one of these two ambulatory payment classifications (APC).

HCPCS Code

Description

Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC)

Payment Rate

93971

LE Venous-Unilateral

5522 Level 2 Imaging without Contrast

$111.19

93880

Carotid-Bilateral

5523 Level 3 Imaging without Contrast

$235.00

 

Relevant links:

Impact of rulemaking on vascular lab codes and reimbursement

The SVU Advocacy Committee has prepared this spreadsheet to help members understand the impact of provisions within the final rule on reimbursement.

    2022 Final Difference Between 2021 Final & 2022 Final
HCPCS Short Description Non-Facility PE RVUs (PFS) Malpractice RVUs (PFS) Total Non-Facility RVUs Difference Between 2022 Final RVU & 2022 Proposed RVU PFS Payment Rate (Using Proposed 2022 Conversion Factor: $33.59 ) HOPPS Payment Rate Which Applies in PFS ? Difference Between PFS 2021 Final & 2022 Final % Change Difference Between HOPPS 2021 Final & 2022 Final % Change
93880 - TC Extracranial study 4.6 0.02 4.62 -0.09 $155.19 $235.00 $155.19 -$9.84 -5.96% $4.87 2.12%
93882 - TC Extracranial study 3.03 0.02 3.05 -0.08 $102.45 $111.19 $102.45 -$5.71 -5.28% $2.22 2.04%
93886 - TC Intracranial study 6.7 0.04 6.74 -0.03 $226.40 $235.00 $226.40 -$10.51 -4.43% $4.87 2.12%
93888 - TC Intracranial study 4.06 0.02 4.08 -0.09 $137.05 $111.19 $111.19 -$8.10 -5.58% $2.22 2.04%
93890 - TC Tcd, vasoreactivity study 6.74 0.04 6.78 -0.02 $227.74 $235.00 $227.24 -$12.65 -5.26% $4.87 2.12%
93892 - TC Tcd, emboli detect w/o inj 7.66 0.04 7.70 -0.05 $258.64 $111.19 $111.19 -$9.31 -3.48% $2.22 2.04%
93893 - TC Tcd, emboli detect w/inj 9.9 0.04 9.94 0.15 $333.88 $111.19 $111.19 $5.92 1.80% $2.22 2.04%
93922-TC Upr/l xtremity art 2 levels 2.08 0.01 2.09 -0.17 $70.20 $115.16 $70.20 -$4.11 -5.53% $3.21 2.87%
93923-TC Upr/lxtr art stdy 3+ lvls 3.17 0.02 3.19 -0.22 $107.15 $142.59 $107.15 -$5.89 -5.21% $3.04 2.18%
93924-TC Lwr xtr vasc stdy bilat 3.98 0.04 4.02 -0.20 $135.03 $270.29 $135.03 -$8.02 -5.60% $5.84 2.21%
93925 - TC Lower extremity study 6.13 0.04 6.17 -0.12 $207.25 $235.00 $207.25 -$14.30 -6.46% $4.87 2.12%
93926 - TC Lower extremity study 3.61 0.02 3.63 -0.12 $121.93 $111.19 $111.19 -$7.51 -5.80% $2.22 2.04%
93930 - TC Upper extremity study 4.74 0.04 4.78 -0.14 $160.56 $235.00 $160.56 -$10.75 -6.28% $4.87 2.12%
93931 - TC Upper extremity study 3.02 0.02 3.04 -0.14 $102.11 $111.19 $102.11 -$5.35 -4.98% $2.22 2.04%
93970 - TC Extremity study 4.65 0.02 4.67 -0.11 $156.87 $235.00 $156.87 -$9.56 -5.74% $4.87 2.12%
93971 - TC Extremity study 2.94 0.02 2.96 -0.07 $99.43 $111.19 $99.43 -$4.55 -4.37% $2.22 2.04%
93975 - TC Vascular study 6.33 0.04 6.37 -0.13 $213.97 $235.00 $213.97 -$13.17 -5.80% $4.87 2.12%
93976 - TC Vascular study 3.61 0.02 3.63 -0.11 $121.93 $111.19 $111.19 -$6.81 -5.29% $2.22 2.04%
93978 - TC Vascular study 4.28 0.04 4.32 -0.13 $145.11 $235.00 $145.11 -$8.41 -5.48% $4.87 2.12%
93979 - TC Vascular study 2.82 0.02 2.84 -0.12 $95.40 $111.19 $95.40 -$5.09 -5.06% $2.22 2.04%
93980 - TC Penile vascular study 1.69 0.01 1.70 -0.02 $57.10 $111.19 $57.10 -$4.65 -7.53% $2.22 2.04%
93981 - TC Penile vascular study 1.45 0.01 1.46 -0.01 $49.04 $111.19 $49.04 -$4.34 -8.13% $2.22 2.04%
93985 - TC Dup-scan hemo compl bi std 6.39 0.04 6.43 -0.18 $215.98 $235.00 $215.98 -$18.48 -7.88% $4.87 2.12%
93986 - TC Dup-scan hemo compl uni std 3.76 0.02 3.78 -0.13 $126.97 $111.19 $111.19 -$7.01 -5.23% $2.22 2.04%
93990 - TC Doppler flow testing 3.72 0.02 3.74 -0.08 $125.63 $111.19 $111.19 -$7.30 -5.49% $2.22 2.04%
76706 - TC Ultrasound exam aaa screen 2.42 0.01 2.43 0.02 $81.62 $111.19 $81.62 -$3.16 -3.73% $2.22 2.04%


There are a couple pieces of legislation that may impact reimbursement too.

The first is the Medicare sequestration payment reduction. The 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) mandated federal budget cuts over nine years to reduce the deficit. This included annual 2% cuts to Medicare payments, also known as Medicare sequestration. However, this sequester has proven to be a popular offset and has been extended by Congress through fiscal year 2030. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on physicians and other health care providers, Congress passed legislation to extend the moratorium on this sequester through December 31, 2021. Without action, the 2% reduction in reimbursement for all Medicare services will be reinstated on January 1, 2022.

The second piece of legislation worth mentioning is the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act of 2010. PAYGO requires, among other things, that mandatory spending and revenue legislation not increase the federal budget deficit over a 5- or 10- year period. Should such legislation be enacted without offsets, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is required to implement sequestration, or across-the-board reductions, in certain types of mandatory federal spending.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a PAYGO sequester in fiscal year 2022 resulting from passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed this March, would cause a 4% reduction in Medicare spending – or cuts of approximately $36 billion. This 4% cut to Medicare payments could go into effect if Congress does not act.

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