AAPM Newsletter
March/April 2009
ACR Accreditation Q. What is MIPPA??
Priscilla F. Butler, M.S. Senior Director - ACR Breast Imaging Accreditation Programs ACR Accreditation: Frequently Asked Questions for Medical Physicists
D
oes your facility need help on applying for accreditation? In each issue of this newsletter, I’ll present frequently asked questions (FAQs) of particular importance for medical physicists. You may also check out the ACR’s accreditation web site portal (www.acr.org; click “Accreditation”) for more FAQs, accreditation applications and QC forms.
A. Section 135 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) includes a provision requiring providers of advanced diagnostic imaging services (ADIS) to meet comprehensive accreditation standards by the year 2012. ADIS are defined as MRI, CT, and nuclear medicine/PET and specifically exclude x-ray, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy. Q. How does MIPPA impact reimbursement? A. The MIPPA policy is a condition of payment for the technical component (TC), or acquisition of the image, and covers the equipment, the technologists, and the supervising physician. Q. To whom do the MIPPA provisions apply?
A. Section 135 of the MIPPA amends the provision of the Social Security Act that deals with Medicare Part B physician payments. More specifically, it amends section 1848(b) of the Social Security Act which deals with the establishment of the physician fee schedule. Section 135 does not apply to Medicare Part A. Medicare Part A covers inpatient care in hospitals. Since Section 135 deals only with the physician fee schedule, it does not relate to hospital services. Therefore, it is important to note that hospitals are not required to meet the comprehensive accreditation requirement by 2012. Q. Will CT scans performed for radiation oncology treatment planning purposes be covered under MIPPA? A. No, MIPPA only applies to providers of diagnostic imaging services.
Letter to the Editor
W
e would like to make members of the AAPM aware of a most valuable resource that is easily available to them. A wealth of material is available at no cost on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Radiation Protection of Patients (RPoP) website, http:// rpop.iaea.org. Included are: 1. Training material (power point slides) in the areas of a. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology b. Radiotherapy c. Nuclear Medicine d. Prevention of Accidental Exposure in Radiotherapy
e. Cardiology f. PET/CT 2. Publications for download including a. Safety Guides b. Safety Standards c. Safety Reports 3. Up-to-date references 4.
Answers to questions concerning radiation effects and risks for health professionals, patients, pregnant women, children and members of the public.
We urge all of you to become familiar with this most valuable source of medical and health physics information.
27
Please feel free to contact us if you would like any additional information about this resource. Lawrence N. Rothenberg, Ph.D. , rothenbl@mskcc.org Madan M. Rehani, Ph.D., M.M.Rehani@iaea.org
AAPM and Doyle Printing Green Partners