On Sept. 9, the AANS and the CNS submitted comments regarding the CMS Services CY 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System proposed rule. In their letter, the AANS and the CNS:
- Supported separate payments for non-opioid products, especially for devices, and encouraged CMS to expand payment for neurostimulators to treat pain;
- Urged CMS to eliminate the OPPS prior authorization program and to rescind requirements for prior authorization for cervical fusion with disc removal and implanted spinal neurostimulators; and
- Requested CMS to assign the new Vagus Nerve Integrated Stimulator Category III CPT codes 0908T and 0909T to a higher-level Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC).
A link to the proposed rule is available here, A CMS OPPS/ASC press release is available here, and a CMS OPPS/ASC fact sheet is available here.
