ASTROgram: MedPAC testifies to House panel on self-referral

At a June 23 House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) June 2010 report, several members of Congress expressed concern about abuse of the physician self-referral law's ancillary services exception. MedPAC's report examined various aspects of Medicare, including a chapter on the ancillary services exception to the self-referral law, but it did not submit any specific recommendations. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) said there are "concerns over rapid growth on ancillary services in physician offices." He noted that not all the services in the exception are the same and said, "We must use caution to not paint all ancillary services with the same broad brush . . ." Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) said that she agreed with experts who say self-referral is a "costly drain on the Medicare system." She complained that the report lacks concrete recommendations on self-referral, and she pushed MedPAC Chair Glenn Hackbarth to move faster on recommendations to end self-referral abuses. He responded that there would be more details to come this fall. ASTRO staff has had numerous meetings with the committee members, including its Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) who asked GAO to study this issue, to educate them about abuse of the self-referral law in radiation therapy. For more information, contact Dave Adler.