New York State Radiological Society
Radiation Oncology Committee Report
May 5, 2000
Karen Fountain, M.D., Chairperson
Hospitals
and free-standing facilities in New York are moving forward with State- or
City-mandated radiation oncology practice accreditation processes. The ACR will
list accredited practices on their website. Both ACR and ACRO accreditation
programs are now accepted by City and State agencies.
Dr.
Louis Potters, Radiation Oncology Carrier Advisory Committee representative,
continues as Co-Chair of the national Carrier Advisory Committee. He has been
working with ACR staff and gave a short presentation at the leadership meeting
in Washington, D.C., in March. He has been appointed to the ACR Commissions on
Radiation Oncology and on Economics. He chairs the Regulatory subcommittee
through a joint economics committee with ACR and ASTRO. Their task is to
examine issues pertaining to HCFA policy on a national as well as on the state
and local levels.
The
policy on External Beam Radiation Therapy, which was developed in New York has
passed, and has been used as a model nationally. The pending policy on
Brachytherapy should be available in three to four months, and will be the
nation's first.
Random
spot checks as well as focused audits of radiation oncologists and their
practices may be performed by HCFA subcontractors to ensure Medicare billing
compliance. Appropriate documentation of clinical encounters and supervision is
essential to avoid civil and/or criminal penalties. Updates regarding changes
in Radiation Oncology coding are published regularly. NYSRS officers and
designated committee members are available for any questions you may have on
these issues.
The
first national Continuing Quality Improvement manual for radiation oncology,
similar to the existing manual for diagnostic radiology, is slated for
completion in 2002. Members of the committee to draft the manual will be drawn
from the ACR membership of AAPM, theACR Quality Assurance Committee, the
Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation Committee, and persons with special
interest and expertise in CQI. The committee will be inclusive, with physicians
and physicists drawn from rural practices, free-standing facilities, community
hospital-based practices, and academic centers. Dr. Fountain was named
Committee Chair in April.
Radiation oncologists are again encouraged to join RadPac and to continue to correspond with their legislators about issues which may affect our patients. Copies of such letters should be sent to Tom Wolfe, Senior Director of ACR Government Relations at FAX (703) 262-9312 or email: tomw@acr.org.
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