On July 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the proposed rule for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) for 2017. CMS has proposed to cut the reimbursement rate for Axial DXA, CPT 77080 in the hospital setting from the current national average of $100.69 to $63.33. This reimbursement cut will further limit access to DXA testing that has resulted from the 75% reimbursement cut for DXA in the office setting that has taken place over the past decade. CMS also proposes to decrease DXA reimbursement in the office setting from the current $41.56 to $40.78. This proposal would affect DXA services billed in these Physician Based Departments or PBD.
The ISCD is working with the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA), and other organizations to address the latest cuts to DXA testing. Please respond to Donna Fiorentino at dfiorentino@iscd.org if you have questions or are interested in becoming more involved in our advocacy efforts.