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CMS-1403-FC
percent for the subsequent services. Because we found a
relatively narrow range of percentage payment reductions
across modalities and families, and taking into
consideration that we did not eliminate any duplicative
image acquisition time for subsequent procedures in our
analysis, we originally proposed an across-the-board MPPR
for all 11 families of 50 percent (which is approximately
the midpoint of the range established through our
analysis). We believe this level of reduction was both
justified and conservative (70 FR 45849). To allow for a
transition of the changes in payments for these services
attributable to this policy, we implemented a 25 percent
payment reduction for all code families in CY 2006 which
was scheduled to increase to a 50 percent reduction in CY
2007.
Subsequent to the publication of the CY 2006 PFS final
rule with comment period, section 5102 (b) of the DRA
capped the PFS payment for most imaging services at the
amount paid under the hospital outpatient prospective
payment system (OPPS). In addition, in response to our
request for data on the appropriateness of the 50 percent
reduction in the CY 2006 PFS final rule with comment
period, the American College of Radiology (ACR) provided
information for 25 code combinations supporting a reduction
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