ACR submits comments on IDR fee ruling

The American College of Radiology (ACR) is doubling down on concerns regarding the independent dispute resolution (IDR) fees and processes as part of the No Surprises Act. On December 20, the college submitted comments to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (DHS). The feedback addresses the issues of planned increases for the IDR administrative fee and prices for batched disputes. “To promote a sustainable healthcare system, it is imperative that fair payment mechanisms exist to ensure adequate reimbursement for out-of-network services,” the ACR wrote in its submitted comments.  A finalized ruling by CMS, DHS, the Department of the Treasury, and other federal entities will see IDR administrative fees increase from $50 to $115. Along with that, batched disputes will see fixed price increases per line item when such disputes exceed 25 line items.  Before it submitted comments to CMS, the ACR issued a response to the ruling, expressing concern over the pricing and processes. For the IDR administrative fee, the ACR stated in its response to CMS that it believes the fee for low-dollar claims of 50% of the full administrative fee is too high. It recommended a reduced administrative fee of no more than $50, saying that increased costs would negatively impact imaging service sites with limited resources, including both urban and rural populations. “The pressure from insurers...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Practice Management Source Type: news