Imaging Advocates Express Frustration With Final Hospital Outpatient Payment Rule

The 2026 HOPPS final rule includes a 2.6% conversion factor increase and higher-than-expected payment rates for 3D printing and noncardiac contrast-enhanced ultrasound. However, nuclear medicine groups are disappointed, particularly due to CMS’s reassignment of CPT 78803, which cuts reimbursement by 57% despite strong advocacy efforts. CMS also introduced a $10 add-on payment for Tc-99m when domestically sourced Mo-99 is used, though societies are urging clearer guidance and broader applicability. Both ASNC and SNMMI criticized CMS’s continued use of average unit cost rather than average sale price for radiopharmaceutical reimbursement, arguing that it does not reflect true acquisition costs.

Source: https://radiologybusiness.com/topics/healthcare-management/healthcare-policy/imaging-advocates-express-frustration-final-hospital-outpatient-payment-rule?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=rb_news