Policy Statements

ISASS Comments on Washington State Health Care Authority Potential Review of Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Policy On July 23, 2020, ISASS sent a comment letter to the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) regarding their sacroiliac joint fusion coverage policy, which is used by the state’s Medicaid and workers’ compensation program for coverage. The ISASS letter asked that the Washington HCA consider review and potential revision of their coverage policy to include minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion for joint pain and dysfunction due to degenerative conditions not limited to direct trauma or injury to the pelvic girdle, which would be consistent with ISASS recommendations. The current Washington State HCA policy does not recommend coverage, despite an initial positive finding by the […]

ISASS Supports Letter to the HHS Requesting Elimination of Budget Neutrality Adjustments to Physician Payments for 2020 On July 1, 2020, multiple organizations, including ISASS, sent a letter to Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to remove budget neutrality negative adjustments under the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The organizations indicated support for the actions of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in last year’s Medicare physician payment final rule to utilize the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel coding framework, and the AMA Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee recommended values for office and outpatient visits starting January 1, 2021. The framework was the result of significant collaboration by an […]

The HHS Extended the Deadline for Eligible Physicians to Apply for CARES Act Funding Into August The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended the deadline for eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program physicians and organizations to submit information and apply for funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund from July 20 to August 3, 2020. The HHS is distributing approximately $15 billion to eligible physicians who have not previously received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund. The payment amount will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care, and the final amount will be determined based on submitted data, including the number of Medicaid patients served. The HHS […]

CMS Releases 2021 ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes for Physician and Facility Coding On July 9, 2020, the Centers for Medical and Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated codes in the 2021 ICD-10 Procedure Coding System (PCS). These new codes include updated diagnosis codes for spinal and back conditions. These new codes will allow greater tracking and appropriate payment for spine surgery technologies. The new codes will be in effect from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021, and were announced in the 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule in June 2020. Visit the CMS website for the full list of ICD-10-PCS codes and for more information: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/icd-10/2021-icd-10-cm