Participation may
be rewarded with
increased payments for
services rendered
Fairfax. Va. -- The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology encourages radiation oncologists to participate in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), which began on July 1, 2007, and lasts until December 31, 2007.
PQRI establishes a financial incentive for eligible professionals to participate in a voluntary quality reporting program. Eligible professionals who successfully report on a designated set of quality measures for claims dated July 1 to December 31, 2007, may earn a bonus payment, subject to a cap, of 1.5 percent of the total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services.
"Radiation oncology is all about giving quality care and attention to men and women living with a diagnosis of cancer," said Christopher Rose, M.D., Co-chair of ASTRO's Quality Steering Committee and a radiation oncologist at Valley Radiotherapy in Los Angeles. "Likewise, the federal government is looking to transition from a typical fee-for-service model to a model that rewards physicians for providing the best care for patients. I encourage my radiation oncology colleagues to participate in the PQRI program and provide feedback as the government explores ways to incorporate quality measures into its payment mechanisms."
There are two measures that directly apply to radiation oncologists: measure #71; hormonal therapy for stage Ic-III, ER/PR positive breast cancer and measure #74; radiation therapy recommended for invasive breast cancer patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery. For detailed information on reporting requirements and the claims submission process, please visit
http://www.astro.org/PublicPolicy/PQRIInformation/index.asp.
(To help radiation oncologists and their coding specialists better understand PQRI, ASTRO hosted a conference call with Susan Nedza, M.D., from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help both doctors and their coding specialists understand the requirements of the PQRI program. A PowerPoint presentation and the podcast will be available on http://www.astro.org/PublicPolicy/PQRIInformation/ until August 31, 2007.)
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Inc. 8280 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive . Suite 500 . Fairfax . VA . 22031 phone 703-502-1550 . fax 703-502-7852 . web www.astro.org
