ACR Summarizes Radiology Components of 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) issued a preliminary summary of the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule released Nov. 2 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that highlights changes to payment provisions and to policies for the Quality Payment Program. CMS is moving forward with the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) program for advanced diagnostic imaging services with the penalty phase to begin on Jan. 1, 2023, or the first of the year following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Despite objections from the ACR and others, CMS chose to move forward with implementation of clinical labor pricing updates, but with a four-year transition starting CY 2022. However, due to the actions of the ACR and others, CMS has made some revisions to their initial proposed methodology which will help to lessen the payment impact to radiology and radiation oncology providers by half. Read the summary.