In 2014 the federal government enacted the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 which included a differential payment provision to diagnostic CT systems that do not meet the MITA Smart Dose CT XR-29 standard.
Under the new law, payment for the technical component under the physician fee schedule (CTs received in a non-hospital setting such as imaging center or physicians' office) and the APC payment under the hospital outpatient department (CTs) conducted in the hospital outpatient department) for services rendered with equipment not consistent with the XR-29 standards will be reduced by 5 percent in 2016 and 15 percent in 2017 and subsequent years.
Using the model and serial number, find out if your Philips CT is XR-29 compliant.
The XR-29 standard includes four features that help CT users perform high-quality diagnostic imaging while managing radiation dose.
DICOM Dose Structured Reporting
Enables the recording of post-exam dose information in a standardized electronic format. This information can be included in the patient record to promote the establish ment of diagnostic reference levels, as well as facility dose management and quality assurance.
CT Dose Check
Incorporates two features—dose notifications and dose alerts—that can alert operators and physicians when dose exceeds established thresholds.
Automatic exposure control (AEC)
Automatically adjusts the amount of radiation used, based on the size, shape and composition of the patient, in order to achieve a specified level of image quality.
Pediatric and adult reference protocols
A set of pre-loaded protocols on a CT system that serve as a baseline for a variety of clinical tasks.
