(a) Standard methodology. The standard methodology for determining the national unadjusted payment rate for ASC services is to calculate the product of the applicable conversion factor and the relative payment weight established under §416.167(b), unless otherwise indicated in this section.

(1) Conversion factor for CY 2008. CMS calculates a conversion factor so that payment for ASC services furnished in CY 2008 would result in the same aggregate amount of expenditures as would be made if the provisions in this Subpart F did not apply, as estimated by CMS.

(2) Conversion factor for CY 2009 and subsequent calendar years. The conversion factor for a calendar year is equal to the conversion factor calculated for the previous year, updated as follows:

(i) For CY 2009, the update is equal to zero percent.

(ii) For CY 2010 through CY 2018, the update is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (U.S. city average) as estimated by the Secretary for the 12-month period ending with the midpoint of the year involved.

(iii) For CY 2019 through CY 2023, the update is the hospital inpatient market basket percentage increase applicable under section 1886(b)(3)(B)(iii) of the Act.

(iv) For CY 2024 and subsequent years, the update is the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (U.S. city average) as estimated by the Secretary for the 12-month period ending with the midpoint of the year involved.

(v) For CY 2014 through CY 2018, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers update determined under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section is reduced by 2.0 percentage points for an ASC that fails to meet the standards for reporting of ASC quality measures as established by the Secretary for the corresponding calendar year.

(vi) For CY 2019 through CY 2023, the hospital inpatient market basket update determined under paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section is reduced by 2.0 percentage points for an ASC that fails to meet the standards for reporting of ASC quality measures as established by the Secretary for the corresponding calendar year.

(vii) For CY 2024 and subsequent years, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers update determined under paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section is reduced by 2.0 percentage points for an ASC that fails to meet the standards for reporting of ASC quality measures as established by the Secretary for the corresponding calendar year.

(viii)

(A) For CY 2011 through CY 2018, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers determined under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section, after application of any reduction under paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section, is reduced by the productivity adjustment described in section 1886(b)(3)(B)(xi)(II) of the Act.

(B) For CY 2019 through CY 2023, the hospital inpatient market basket update determined under paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section, after application of any reduction under paragraph (a)(2)(vi) of this section, is reduced by the productivity adjustment described in section 1886(b)(3)(B)(xi)(II) of the Act.

(C) For CY 2024 and subsequent years, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers determined under paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section, after application of any reduction under paragraph (a)(2)(vii) of this section, is reduced by the productivity adjustment described in section 1886(b)(3)(B)(xi)(II) of the Act.

(D) The application of the provisions of paragraph (a)(2)(viii)(A), (B), or (C) of this section may result in the update being less than zero percent for a year, and may result in payment rates for a year being less than the payment rates for the preceding year.

(b) Exception. The national ASC payment rates for the following items and services are not determined in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section but are paid an amount derived from the payment rate for the equivalent item or service set under the payment system established in part 419 of this subchapter as updated annually in the Federal Register and/or via the Internet on the CMS Web site. If a payment rate is not available, the following items and services are designated as contractor-priced:

(1) Covered ancillary services specified in §416.164(b), with the exception of radiology services and certain diagnostic tests as provided in §416.164(b)(5) and non-opioid pain management drugs that function as a supply when used in a surgical procedure as provided in §416.164(b)(6).

(2) The device portion of device-intensive procedures, which are procedures that—

(i) Involve implantable devices assigned a CPT or HCPCS code;

(ii) Utilize devices (including single-use devices) that must be surgically inserted or implanted; and

(iii) Have a HCPCS code-level device offset of greater than 30 percent when calculated according to the standard OPPS ASC ratesetting methodology.

(3) Procedures using certain separately paid implantable devices that are approved for transitional pass-through payment in accordance with §419.66 of this subchapter.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(2) of this section, low volume device-intensive procedures where the otherwise applicable payment rate calculated based on the standard methodology for device intensive procedures described in this paragraph (b) would exceed the payment rate for the equivalent service set under the payment system established under part 419 of this chapter, for which the payment rate will be set at an amount equal to the amount under that payment system.

(c) Transitional payment rates.

(1) ASC payment rates for CY 2008 are a transitional blend of 75 percent of the CY 2007 ASC payment rate for a covered surgical procedure on the CY 2007 ASC list of surgical procedures and 25 percent of the payment rate for the procedure calculated under the methodology described in paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) ASC payment rates for CY 2009 are a transitional blend of 50 percent of the CY 2007 ASC payment rate for a covered surgical procedure on the CY 2007 ASC list of surgical procedures and 50 percent of the payment rate for the procedure calculated under the methodology described in paragraph (a) of this section.

(3) ASC payment rates for CY 2010 are a transitional blend of 25 percent of the CY 2007 ASC payment rate for a covered surgical procedure on the CY 2007 ASC list of surgical procedures and 75 percent of the payment rate for the procedure calculated under the methodology described in paragraph (a) of this section.

(4) The national ASC payment rate for CY 2011 and subsequent calendar years for a covered surgical procedure designated in accordance with §416.166 is the payment rates for the procedure calculated under the methodology described in paragraph (a) of this section.

(5) Covered ancillary services described in §416.164(b) and surgical procedures identified as covered when performed in an ASC under §416.166 for the first time beginning on or after January 1, 2008, are not subject to the transitional payment rates applicable in CYs 2008 through 2010 for ASC facility services.

(d) Limitation on payment rates for office-based surgical procedures and covered ancillary radiology services and certain diagnostic tests. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, for any covered surgical procedure under §416.166 that CMS determines is commonly performed in physicians' offices or for any covered ancillary radiology service or diagnostic test under §416.164(b)(5), excluding those listed in paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) of this section, the national unadjusted ASC payment rates for these procedures and services will be the lesser of the amount determined under paragraph (a) of this section or the amount calculated at the nonfacility practice expense relative value units under §414.22(b)(5)(i)(B) of this chapter multiplied by the conversion factor described in §414.20(a)(3) of this chapter.

(1) The national unadjusted ASC payment rate for covered ancillary radiology services that involve certain nuclear medicine procedures will be the amount determined under paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) The national unadjusted ASC payment rate for covered ancillary radiology services that use contrast agents will be the amount determined under paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) Budget neutrality.

(1) For CY 2008, CMS establishes the conversion factor to result in budget neutrality as estimated by CMS in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(2) For CY 2009 and subsequent calendar years, CMS adjusts the ASC relative payment weights under §416.167(b)(2) as needed so that any updates and adjustments made under §419.50(a) of this subchapter are budget neutral as estimated by CMS.

[72 FR 42545, Aug. 2, 2007, as amended at 75 FR 72264, Nov. 24, 2010; 76 FR 74582, Nov. 30, 2011; 77 FR 277, Jan. 4, 2012; 77 FR 68558, Nov. 15, 2012; 79 FR 67030, Nov. 10, 2014; 81 FR 79879, Nov. 14, 2016; 83 FR 59178, Nov. 21, 2018; 84 FR 61490, Nov. 12, 2019]