Physicians may need to enroll as IDTFs to offer diagnostic tests

Why This Topic Matters

The proposal could affect whether diagnostic testing performed in the physician office setting remains billable to Medicare and whether practices must align with additional Medicare enrollment and operational standards.

Article Sections

1. Proposed 2009 physician fee schedule update

   Introduces the Medicare proposal and the practice settings potentially affected by the change. It frames the article around diagnostic testing performed in physician offices.

2. IDTF enrollment and performance standards

   Summarizes the types of enrollment, staffing, supervision, equipment, and regulatory expectations discussed in the proposed rule. The section focuses on the broad categories of compliance requirements mentioned by CMS.

3. Claims denial implications and excluded standards

   Addresses the article's discussion of possible billing consequences and notes that some IDTF-related requirements are not expected to apply in the same way to physician practices. This section distinguishes between the standards discussed without detailing them.

4. Official resource

   Points readers to the Federal Register source cited in the article for further review of the proposed rule. It identifies the general location of the referenced CMS material.