REIMBURSEMENT
AND THE NUCLEAR LABORATORY: AN OVERVIEW
The
Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) receives numerous
phone calls and e-mails each week from laboratories who are concerned
with their compliance to private insurers' payment policies.
Over the past few years, payment policies have been adopted by several insurers for the reimbursement of nuclear medicine procedures,
requiring accreditation of the laboratory. Then in July 2008, the U.S. Congress passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), a new law stating that by January 1, 2012, all nonhospital providers of advanced diagnostic imaging, inclusive of Nuclear Medicine, MR, CT, and PET, must obtain accreditation as a condition for reimbursement. The IAC recently received recognition by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a designated accreditation organization for MIPPA. Read more.>>
A
listing of payment policies of which the ICANL is currently aware can
be found on this website under Payment
Policies.
General questions about payment policy and reimbursement may be directed to Tamara
Sloper, IAC Marketing Director.
She may be contacted at 800-838-2110, or via email at sloper@intersocietal.org.
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REIMBURSEMENT
AND THE ICANL |
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THE ICANL DOES:
Attempt
to stay abreast of payment policies as a service to the
nuclear cardiology, nuclear medicine and PET imaging
communities.
Communicate
information to nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and PET
laboratories about payment policies (via the ICANL
website, Newsletter articles and other mailings to laboratories).
Employ
knowledgeable staff to assist laboratories with basic
questions about payment policies.
Provide,
upon request, the same information to insurance carriers
as we publish in the accredited laboratory listing on
the website.
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THE
ICANL DOES NOT:
Establish
rules or regulations for the insurance carriers.
Have
the authority to make decisions regarding implementation
dates, extensions, etc.
Have
responsibility for notifying providers of nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology and PET testing services of payment policies.
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