CMS released the 2018 proposed rule for hospital outpatient departments and proposed adding two new spine procedures to the ASC payable list, according to ASCA.
The two new spine codes include:
1. Cervical artificial disc arthroplasty: 22856
2. Second-level cervical discectomy: 22828
The cervical artificial discectomy has a J8 payment indicator as a device intensive code and the second-level cervical discectomy has an N1 payment indication as a packaged and not separately payable code.
CMS is also accepting comments on whether total knee, hip and partial hip replacements meet the criterial for the ASC payable list. They agency proposed a 1.9 percent increase in ASC rates for next year.