Members of Congress Urge CMS Administrator to Not Apply Prior Authorization Requirements for Cervical Fusion

On November 2, over 50 members of Congress sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma urging her to not extend prior authorization requirements for cervical fusion procedures performed in the outpatient and ambulatory surgical center settings.

CMS had previously announced in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System/Ambulatory Surgical Center proposed rule an intention to apply prior authorization to cervical fusion procedures, as well as spinal neurostimulator system procedures. In their letter, the members of Congress indicated disagreement with the CMS proposal and indicated that implementation of prior authorization would lead to delays in treatment for Medicare beneficiaries, which would negatively impact quality of life.

The letter echoed comments by stakeholders such as ISASS in response to the proposed rule.

To read a copy of the congressional letter, see link: Click Here

To read a copy of the ISASS letter, see link: Click Here