The American College of Radiology (ACR) recently submitted comments to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging it to revisit several aspects of its 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule.

ACR said it is seeking to have the agency reexamine its 2008 proposed MPFS in the following areas:

• Malpractice values;
• Budget neutrality;
• Resource-based practice expense relative value units;
• Practice expense per hour;
• Relative Value Update Committee recommendations;
• Additional codes from the five year review;
• IDTF requirements;
• Physician quality reporting initiative; and
• Changes to reassignment and self-referral rules [Anti-Markup Provisions].

The complete text of the ACR comments can be found at: http://www.acr.org/Hidden/Economics/FeaturedCategories/mps/mpfs/08mpfs/FinalCommentLetter.aspx.

The CMS will address comments received on the proposed rule in its 2008 MPFS Final Rule, which will be published this November, the ACR said.