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- In Case You Missed It: CAP Succeeds in Convincing CMS to Further Mitigate Cuts to Pathologists Pay for 2024
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2024 final Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program regulation on November 2. The CMS reacted favorably to the CAP’s comments to increase pay to pathologists in 2024 from what had been first proposed in July. The CAP successfully advocated for an increase to the cytotechnologist clinical labor rate used by the CMS in their practice expense methodology. This advocacy provides an increase to the technical component (TC) and global payments for some pathology services. Briefly, here are the key topics included in the 2024 proposed rule:
- The CMS continues to implement CAP requested increases to clinical labor rates.
- The CMS finalized the evaluation and management add-on code, G2211, causing budget neutrality adjustments that negatively affect pathologists and other specialties throughout the physician fee schedule.
- Download the impact table showing the proposed changes to pathology services in 2024.
The CMS also published its final 2024 Quality Payment Program (QPP) rule, which aims to limit changes in traditional Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) to provide clinicians continuity and consistency while they gain familiarity with their new MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and move toward accountable care and advanced alternative payment models. Though limited, the proposed changes to the MIPS program will have a significant impact on participating pathologists’ scores and payment bonuses.
The CAP has long advocated to make MIPS less burdensome for pathologists and has created measures to increase pathologists’ opportunities to demonstrate the quality they provide and to score well in the program. Read more.