The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced significant changes to the regulatory requirements for operating independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTFs) on January 26, 2007, which new rules will become affective February 26, 2007. These new requirements affect the:
§ Performance standards for operation.
§ The requirements for both interpreting and supervising physicians.
§ Licensing requirements for technicians.
Rather than try to summarize all of the changes for you, I am including links to both explanatory and direct source materials:
A. Summary of Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility Performance Standards from the CMS Website. www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicareProviderSupEnroll/downloads/Independentdiagnostictestingfacility.pdf
B. CMS Manual System Pub 100-08 regarding the implementation of new compliance standards for Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities, found courtesy of “Health Blawg”, which is David Harlow’s Healthcare Law Blog. healthblawg.typepad.com/healthblawg/2007/02/idtf_requiremen.html
C. Section 42 CFR § 410.33, which are the formal federal regulations defining the requirements for Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities. ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx
D. Highmark Medicare Services Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility Billing Guide. www.highmarkmedicareservices.com/partb/bguides/idtf.html
I hope the information is helpful.
