MPPR: In its Proposed Rule for 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services called for a multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) of 50 percent to the “professional component” of CT, MRI and ultrasound services administered to the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting. This unprecedented step would slash the reimbursement for physician interpretation and diagnosis. Cuts have previously been applied only to the "technical component," or overhead costs of providing exams.
The proposed rule also would further expand the number of physician services at risk for bundling of payment. Although potential efficiencies in physician work may exist when multiple services are provided to the same patient during the same session, a recent study shows that these are highly variable and considerably less than policy makers contend.
For more information on MPPR, click here: http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/2012-Proposed-Cuts.aspx