Final 2017 Medicare fee schedule: CMS dramatically scales back global period data-collection program

Why This Topic Matters

The article matters because it describes a major reduction in the scope of a Medicare data-reporting program that affects post-operative service tracking for surgical practices. It also signals ongoing CMS efforts to gather information used in future valuation and policy decisions, which can affect compliance planning and workflow.

Article Sections

1. CMS revises global period reporting requirements

   This section summarizes the final Medicare rule changes that narrow the reporting scope for global period data collection and identify which provider groups are affected.

2. Focus on affected states, practices, and reporting scope

   This section describes the geographic and practice-size limitations of the reporting program and the general categories of services included in the data collection effort.

3. CMS survey plans and future valuation context

   This section outlines CMS’s broader information-gathering plans, the policy background behind the data collection effort, and how the information may be used in future Medicare valuation work.