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Associations submit comments to CMS on procedure list

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, February 1, 2005

The American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (AAASC) and the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association (FASA) submitted comments last week to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed ASC covered procedure list, and both bodies expressed disappointment with the rule.

The focus of their discontent was the decision to remove 100 procedures from the list while only adding 25. ASCs can perform many of the deleted procedures, both associations said, and thus should be allowed to do so.

In its comments to CMS, the AAASC questioned many of the deletions and called for the addition of numerous procedures.

"CMS continues to leave unresolved many procedures that CMS proposed to add in the June 1998 proposed update, as well as many procedures that interested organizations, like AAASC, have since urged CMS to add to the ASC list," the AAASC said.

FASA, in its comments, called for CMS to reevaluate the effectiveness of the procedure list. The organization also argued that deleting procedures serves to limit senior citizens' access to needed healthcare.

"To the extent that the ASC list of procedures continues to control what procedures ASCs are reimbursed for, the criteria needs significant revisions," FASA says. "FASA reasserts its request that CMS consider evaluating whether the ASC list serves a benefit today and if not, recommend that Congress eliminate this requirement."

The changes to the list, once approved, are expected to go into effect July 1, 2005.

To view the AAASC's final comments, click here (Adobe Acrobat required).

To view FASA's comments to CMS, click here (Adobe Acrobat required).