To all:

Comments are due January 8, 1999 regarding the proposed rule on the
Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System. In an attempt to
substantiate joint SVT & SDMS comments (these being currently under
development with Bill Sarraille), data on examination time would be very
useful. Consequently, we request your participation in the following
informal survey.

All responses will be confidential and, if you request, I will provide a
copy of our final comments.

The first column is a request for average time of examination in minutes.
NOTE: time of examination must include the time from which the patient
enters the examination room until the room is ready for the next patient to
enter (i.e., not just scan time but the time the room is used by the
patients examination and related activities - cleaning, etc.). This time
should represent an average (i.e., neither of the extremes). If you do not
provide a given procedure, please enter "NA" (or leave blank).

The next two columns include the pertinent CPT code and a brief description
(refer to a CPT codebook for a complete description).

Thank you in advance for your time and effort.
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Time (Minutes) CPT Description

Diagnostic Ultrasound

Chest

 _____ 76845 breast(s) (unilateral or bilateral)

Abdomen & Retroperitoneum

 _____ 76700 abdominal, complete

 _____ 76705 limited (e.g., single organ, etc.)

 _____ 76700 retroperitoneal complete

 _____ 76775 limited

Pelvis

 _____ 76805 complete maternal & fetal evaluation

 _____ 76810 complete maternal/fetal, multiple gestation,
                           after the first trimester

 _____ 76815 limited (age, heart beat, position, etc.)

 _____ 76816 follow-up or repeat

 _____ 76818 fetal biophysical profile

 _____ 76830 transvaginal

 _____ 76856 non-obstetric pelvic, complete

 _____ 76857 limited or follow-up (e.g., for follicles)

Genitalia

 _____ 76872 transrectal

Ultrasonic Guidance Procedures

 _____ 76930 pericardiocentesis

 _____ 76934 thoracentesis or abdominal paracentesis

 _____ 76936 compression repair of pseudo-aneurysm
                        (includes diagnostic evaluation & compression)

 _____ 76938 cyst or renal pelvis aspiration

 _____ 76942 needle biopsy

 _____ 76946 amniocentesis

Echocardiography

 _____ 93307 transthoracic 2D, complete

 _____ 93308 follow-up or limited

 _____ 93320 Doppler, complete

 _____ 93321 follow-up or limited

 _____ 93325 color Doppler echocardiography

 _____ 93350 transthoracic echo at rest and with stress

Vascular

 _____ 93880 complete extracranial duplex

 _____ 93882 unilateral or limited

 _____ 93922 single level physiologic (e.g., ABIs)

 _____ 93923 multiple level physiologic (eg, segmental BPs)

 _____ 93924 physiologic at rest and after treadmill

 _____ 93970 extremity venous duplex; complete

 _____ 93971 unilateral or limited

 _____ 93975 duplex; abd. pelvic etc. organs; complete

 _____ 93976 limited

 _____ 93978 duplex; aorta, IVC, iliac; complete

 _____ 93979 unilateral or limited

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Franklin W. West
Writing at 5:05:08 PM on 12/1/98

PVI
18702 North Creek Parkway, Suite 212
Bothell, WA 98011
425.483.4058 (office)
425.485.6035 (fax)
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