CMS Issues Quality Measures for OPOs

From a e-blast couresy of the Regulation, Accreditation, and Payment Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today announced "a final rule setting forth new quality measures and data reporting requirements that organ procurement organizations (OPOs) must meet to have their services covered by Medicare and Medicaid."

"The final rule contains three new outcome measures similar to measures recommended by many commenters, requirements for reporting of OPO performance data, and new and more objective criteria for selecting the winner of a competition for an open donation service area. There is also a new appeals process for OPOs that includes an OPO's right to request reconsideration from CMS. CMS received many comments on a proposed rule that was published on Feb. 4, 2005, resulting in substantial changes in this final rule."

CMS has not posted a pre-publication copy of the final rule, but the rule will be published in the May 31, 2006 edition of the Federal Register.

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