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AUC Mandate News: CMS Extends AUC Testing Period for 2021
On Aug. 10, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed it would extend the “Educational and Operations Testing Period" for the Medicare Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) Program for advanced diagnostic imaging through 2021. As with this year, there will be no payment consequences associated with the AUC program in 2021.
While full implementation of the program was scheduled to occur in 2021, most physicians remain unaware of the program and its requirements. There also are outstanding technical and operational questions and challenges, including changing routines for transmitting information from the ordering to the rendering provider, reporting the data in claims, and understanding aspects of the program's requirements and exceptions. CMS has struggled with implementing the AUC Program since it was established by The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.
ASNC continues to lead efforts to repeal or drastically modify the program, which is now outdated in an environment of evolving payment and delivery models that put providers at financial risk for healthcare utilization and patient quality.