-- Updating regulations governing payment of certain services furnished in Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORFs), to reflect payment under the MPFS. This conforms to a statutory mandate.

-- Adding neurobehavioral status exams to the list of telemedicine services eligible for Medicare payment.


-- Adding certain ophthalmologic imaging procedures to the list of procedures that would be subject to the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) provision that caps payment for the technical component of imaging procedures at the payment amount under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.

-- Modifying the requirements under the competitive acquisition program (CAP) for Part B drugs for verifying that a drug ordered by a physician has been administered.

-- Requiring the reporting of hemoglobin or hematocrit data on claims for drugs used to treat anemia secondary to anticancer treatment.

-- Modifying a number of physician self-referral provisions to close loopholes that have made the Medicare program vulnerable to abuse.

-- Modifying enrollment standards for Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTFs).

-- Eliminating the exemption for computer-generated faxes from the e-prescribing standards.

Comments will be accepted on the proposed rule until August 31, 2007, and a final rule will be published later in the fall. The final rule will be effective for services on or after January 1, 2008.

For more information, see: www.cms.hhs.gov/center/physician.asp.

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