2008 MEDICARE CHANGES:
PHYSICIAN BILLING FOR PURCHASED DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
CMS is proposing to revise the rules on prohibited mark-ups for purchased diagnostic tests. Revised proposed Section 414.50 will state that “if the physician or medical group bills for the technical or professional component of a diagnostic test that was performed by an outside supplier, the payment to the physician or the medical group (less the applicable deductible and coinsurance) for the technical or professional component of the test may not exceed the lowest of the following amounts:
(i) The supplier’s net charge to the physician or medical group.
(ii) The physician’s or medical group’s actual charge.
(iii) The fee schedule amount for the test that would be allowed if the supplier billed directly.
This provision applies regardless of whether the test or its interpretation was purchased by the physician or medical group billing for the test or the interpretation, or the right to bill for the test or its interpretation was reassigned to the physician or medical group billing for the test or the interpretation.
For purposes of this provision, the physicians’ or other suppliers’ net charge must be determined without regard to any charge that is intended to reflect the cost of equipment or space leased to the outside supplier, buyer or through the billing physician or medical group, and an outside supplier is somewhat other than the full-time employee of the billing physician or medical group.
