Dr. Michael L. Steinberg, chairman of ASTRO's board of directors and professor at UCLA
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will be recommending significant reforms to radiation therapy procedure codes at the American Medical Association's next CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) Editorial Panel Meeting in May.
The proposal is a response to concerns expressed by CMS around numerous radiation therapy codes identified for review in the 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
The proposed changes, intended to take into account changing clinical practices and new technology, include revisions to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).
January 1, 2015, would be the earliest date any changes could become effective.
The proposal includes a plan to redesign certain radiation therapy delivery codes to better demonstrate the degree of complexity of the treatments, according to the society.
ASTRO has also announced the launch of its practice accreditation program that will help Medicare payments in oncology become more quality-based. It is also launching a data registry, currently in a pilot-testing phase, to measure practice performance based on quality measures.
Finally, the organization has developed a new task force to develop alternative models of payment beyond the fee-for-service model.
"The value proposition in health care is a notion that's gaining traction and it's here to stay. ASTRO is engaging that proposition and trying to figure out what are the best ways to do that and make sure patients receive access, and that appropriate quality metrics are put into place," Dr. Michael L. Steinberg, chairman of ASTRO's board of directors and professor of radiation oncology at UCLA told DOTmed News.
