SVT Acts on Proposed 2002 Medicare Rates

11/06/01 SVT discussed via conference call on September 18, the 2002 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS had proposed a rate of $34,794 for vascular technologists which was not a realistic figure based on three independent surveys covering wage rates for vascular technology. SVT’s survey found the median salary to be $49,758.

The focus of the discussion was on recommendations for changes to the Fee Schedule that relate to nomenclature and increasing wage rates for providers of ultrasound services to a level more in line with actual salaries.

On the basis of SVT 's efforts, CMS accepted the Coalition's recommendations to:

• change in nomenclature from vascular technician to vascular technologist
• accepted the recommended yearly salary rate of $49,758 (versus $34,794 in the proposed rule - almost an 43% increase!) which translates into a per minute wage rate $0.54
• maintain description of cardiac sonographer
• eliminate description of ultrasound technician
• change description of sonographer to diagnostic ultrasonographer
• maintain ZWP until alternative is found
• ensure that any changes are tested first
• ensure that CMS continues to dialogue with affected specialties re: options to ZWP

SVT has taken the view that lumping wage data from vascular technologists in with data from cardiac technologists and technicians, whose job duties, educational backgrounds, and certification requirements have little, if anything, in common with those of vascular technologists, creates a heterogeneous classification that makes no sense from a clinical staff type perspective and renders the wage rate estimate unreliable. SVT’s position is that because the Bureau of Labor Statistics classification of Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians is faulty in its composition, CMS should abandon its reliance on that classification in setting rates for vascular technologists.

ADDITIONAL READING

• Letter to Carolyn Mullen, CMS (PDF, 40K)
• Payment Under 2002 Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule