CMS Schedules Meeting on Clinical Lab Code Payments/Genetic Test Codes for 2012 (July 18, 2011)
CMS has announced a July 18, 2011 public meeting to receive comments and recommendations from the public on the appropriate basis for establishing 2012 Medicare payment amounts for a specified list of new CPT codes for clinical laboratory tests. Registration is required. Background information will be posted on the CMS website prior to the meeting. Immediately following this meeting, CMS will host a separate information session to discuss new genetic testing codes (a listing of the new genetic test codes for 2012 is included in the notice. While CMS is not accepting payment recommendations at this time for genetic testing, the agency “is open discussions to the public on recommendations going forward on how these codes should be addressed,” including clinical laboratory versus physician fee schedule assignment, current codes used to reflect test steps, and how various genetic tests are similar to/different from existing laboratory tests.
