2006 proposed fee schedule - American Society of Clinical Oncology

centers and homecare companies for the items and services
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associated with the furnishing of blood clotting factor. In
the Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee
Schedule for Calendar Year 2005 final rule, published
November 15, 2004 (69 FR 66236) we established a furnishing
fee of $0.14 per unit of clotting factor for CY 2005.
Section 1842(o)(5) of the Act specifies that the furnishing
fee for clotting factor for years after CY 2005 will be
equal to the fee for the previous year increased by the
percentage increase in the consumer price index (CPI) for
medical care for the 12-month period ending with June of the
previous year. The CPI data for the 12-month period ending
in June 2005 is not yet available. As a point of reference,
we note that the percent change in the CPI for medical care
for the 12-month period ending June 2004 was 5.1 percent.
In the final rule, we will include the actual figure for the
percent change in the CPI medical care for the 12 month
period ending June 2005, and the updated furnishing fee for
CY 2006 calculated based on that figure.
4. Payment for Inhalation Drugs and Dispensing Fee
[If you choose to comment on issues in this section, please
include the caption “Inhalation Drugs and Dispensing Fee” at
the beginning of your comments.]
Medicare Part B pays for inhalation drugs administered
via a nebulizer, a covered item of DME. Medicare Part B