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Medicare Cuts to Neurologists – Late lastyear, the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services (CMS) announcedthat the 2013 reimbursement rates toneurologists for certain diagnostic testswould be cut by nearly 50%. This drasticreduction came as a surprise to theneurology community and caused alarmto patients who rely on the screening servicesfor an accurate diagnosis and earlyintervention with a biologic treatmentregimen. Organizations like the Guillain-Barré Syndrome/Chronic InflammatoryDemyelinating Polyneuropathy FoundationInternational and their congressionalchampions have begun calling on CMSto reverse or mitigate this cut for 2014 toensure that patient access to quality careand treatments is not jeopardized.AgencyUpdate340B Program Review – Key members ofCongress continue to hold a watchfuleye on the Health Resources andServices Administration’s (HRSA) 340BDrug Discount Program. In February,a handful of legislators sent a letter toHRSA that requests transparency in theongoing audit and recertification of coveredentities participating in the 340Bprogram. The letter specifically asks forinformation on the standards and decision-makingcriteria used to removeentities from the program. The letteralso asks if legal action will be pursuedagainst entities that have been removedfrom the program for the time they spentparticipating without meeting the program’scriteria.Part B and Durable Medical Equipment – InFebruary, HHS issued a report entitled,“Part B Payments for Drugs Infusedthrough Durable Medical Equipment.”Medicare currently reimburses infusiondrugs administered through DurableMedical Equipment (DME) at 95 percentof Average Wholesale Price (AWP).HHS found that Medicare spending onDME infusion drugs could be meaningfullyreduced if payment was based onAverage Sales Price rather than AWP.ASD Healthcare 13