Radiation
Oncology Committee Report
Karen Fountain, M.D., Chairperson
There has been a great deal of activity with the radiation oncology carrier advisory committee. A web-based bulletin board has been developed to disseminate information for CAC activities. Several brachytherapy issues are active, including a surcharge for radioactive seeds and billing for HDR procedures. Work is ongoing regarding intravascular brachytherapy coding through the CAC network.
Errors for IMRT codes G0174 and G0178 were identified in the 2001 Health Care Financing Administration Common "Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) book which inverted the delivery code and the plan code. G0174 is the delivery code and is billed once per session while G0178 is the plan code and may be billed once per entire treatment course.
Dr.
Proposed standards for review of interest to radiation oncologists which
will be considered for approval at the ACR Annual Meeting in September 2001
include updates of the Standard for the Management of Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ
of the Breast (DCIS) and the Standard for Locoregional Management for Invasive
Breast Carcinoma. Both documents were developed in conjunction with the
The ACR Committee on Quality Assurance is in the process of developing a national policy and procedure manual for radiation oncology in response to questions from facilities undergoing practice accreditation visits, from hospitals asking for guidance about appropriate radiation oncology practices, and from physicians asking for examples on how to implement radiation oncology and medical physics Standards once they have been adopted. If you have some terrific policies which your group has developed, some model forms which you find helpful in your practice, some patient education materials which you developed and are willing to share, or advice for the subcommittee, please contact Ms. Trudie Cushing at the ACR.
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