U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, sponsor of HR 4371 to restore cardiology fees to 2009 levels
Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, has introduced a House bill that would protect cardiology practices from drastic cuts in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels for 2010. The 2010 cuts, Gonzalez says, were based on seriously flawed data on the costs incurred by cardiology practices, primarily is the area of diagnostic imaging.
HR 4371 would restore reimbursement to 2009 levels for imaging expenses including cardiac CT, cardiac MR, and myocardial perfusion imaging. The bill has has 82 sponsors, according to Cardiovascular Business, and support from the American College of Cardiology.
In a letter to Congressional colleagues, Gonzalez said that the survey data used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish 2010 reimbursements for diagnostic cardiology was flawed. The data showed a 42 percent decline in the costs of running a private cardiology practice. The number of cardiology practices included in the survey was too small to yield reliable figures, and as a result “cardiology practices and their patients are bracing for significant payment cuts that could diminish access to care,” Gonzalez wrote.
Related Products
- Quinton Eclipse Premier 12-Lead ECG Monitor
- Burdick Atria 6100 12-Lead Resting ECG
- Burdick Atria 3100 12-Lead Resting ECG
- Burdick Universal ECG
Last 5 posts
- Cardiac Science AEDs in Spain [VIDEO] - April 4th, 2011
- Cardiac Science wins first major public access defibrillation program in Europe - March 30th, 2011
- Georgia Park saves 5 lives with AEDs - March 24th, 2011
- Sad stories, avoidable deaths? - March 23rd, 2011
- Texas school's AED saves 6-year-old's life - March 22nd, 2011
Wed, Feb 17, 2010 |
Cardiology