DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for ...

CMS-1503-FC 619
For add-on codes, only minutes allocated to the procedure itself are added to the
time for the equipment, since any additional minutes would duplicate the equipment time
already accounted for in the primary procedure that accompanies the add-on code.
We are refining the CY 2011 AMA RUC PFS direct PE recommendations to
conform to this policy. These refinements are reflected in the final CY 2011 PFS direct
PE database and detailed in Table 55.
(4) Changes in Standard Uses of Certain Supplies
As discussed in section II.A.3.b.(1) of this final rule with comment period, we are
finalizing our proposal to remove the supply item "biohazard bag" from the direct PE
database because the item is considered an indirect practice expense. Additionally¸ as
discussed in section II.A.3.b.(6) of this final rule with comment period, we are finalizing
our CY 2011 proposal to remove the pulse oximeter with printer (CMS Equipment Code
EQ211) as an input for the 118 codes that also contain the ECG, 3-channel (with SpO2,
NIBP, temp, resp) (CMS Equipment Code EQ011).
We are refining the CY 2011 AMA RUC PFS direct PE recommendations to
conform to these policies. These refinements are reflected in the final CY 2011 PFS
direct PE database and detailed in Table 55.
(5) New Supply and Equipment Items
When clinically appropriate, the AMA RUC generally recommends the use of
supply and equipment items that already exist in the direct PE database for new, revised,
and potentially misvalued codes. Some recommendations include supply or equipment
items that are not currently in the direct PE database. In these cases, the AMA RUC has
historically recommended a new item be created and has facilitated CMS' pricing of that