Second, CMS is proposing to implement a requirement in the MIPPA that suppliers of the technical component of advanced imaging services be accredited beginning January 1, 2012 by designating accrediting organizations (AOs) for these suppliers and utilizing the imaging quality standards that have been developed by the AOs. The accreditation requirement would apply to mobile units, physicians' offices, and independent diagnostic testing facilities that create the images, but would not apply to the physician who interprets them. According to the GAO, spending on advanced imaging services, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), is growing almost twice as fast as spending on other types of imaging services, and is a significant contributor to the rapid growth in health care spending in recent years, but there is little administrative oversight to ensure the quality of care. In a separate regulatory action, CMS will address suppliers' accountability, business integrity, physician and technician training, service quality, and performance management.

The proposed rule contains a number of provisions to promote improvement in quality of care and patient outcomes through revisions to the Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (e-Prescribing Program) and the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). Eligible professionals or group practices that meet the requirements of each program in CY 2010 will be eligible for incentive payments for each program equal to 2.0 percent of their total estimated allowed charges for the reporting periods. CMS is proposing to simplify the reporting requirements for the electronic prescribing measure and to provide eligible professionals with more reporting options. CMS is also proposing a new process for group practices to be considered successful electronic prescribers.


In addition, CMS is proposing to add more measures and more measures groups for eligible professionals to report under the PQRI, to provide a mechanism for participants to submit quality measure data from a qualified electronic health record and to create a process for group practices to use for reporting the quality measures.

CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until August 31, and will respond to all comments in a final rule to be issued by November 1, 2009. Unless otherwise specified, the new payment rates and policies will apply to services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2010.

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