Earlier this month, three gastroenterology societies met with CMS officials to discuss payment and coding issues in the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Payment Policy and the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System/Ambulatory Surgery Center Payment System Proposed Rule.
Here are three of recommendations jointly proposed by American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy:
1. CMS has proposed that endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and esophageal dilation be reported with CPT codes for moderate sedation at 0.25 wRVUs. The societies recommend reporting moderate sedation for these procedures be valued at 0.10 wRVUs.
2. The societies asked CMS to finalize the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System G-code for moderate sedation provided by endoscopists, to clarify the impact on physician work for those who provide their own moderate sedation, rather than using an anesthesia professional.
3. The societies said they found several inconsistencies in the ambulatory payment classifications assignment of facility fees for GI services. They asked CMS to improve GI endoscopy codes to reconcile the proposed facility fees.