CMS posted on its web site, November 1, the final rule for the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system that revises policies that govern hospitals and other outpatient service providers in the 2007 calendar year. Most of the rule's provisions become effective January 1, 2007.

In this latest of the Medicare prospective payment system rules, CMS addresses:

• How quality measures are to impact payment
• Changes to the ambulatory payment classification (APC) groups and relative weights
• An overhaul of the ambulatory surgical center payment process
• Procedure movement between APCs
• Clinical and emergency department coding changes
• Policy modifications for drugs, radiopharmaceuticals, and blood products
• Rural vs. other payment issues
• Outlier policy changes
• Partial hospitalization payments