On July 25, CMS published the proposed 2006 Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (PPS) rule which revises the policies that govern payments to hospitals for services to outpatients.
The proposed rule addresses:
* Changes to the APC assignments
* Payment changes for drugs, biological and radiopharmaceutical agents
* Payments changes for brachytherapy, drug administration, and blood products
* Changes in non-physician practitioner oversight requirements for critical access hospitals.
* Other policy changes relating to inpatient only procedures, hospital E&M codes and other issues