United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-01-13 monographic deposited born digital 33 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-97 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97 P0b002ee18038ee8f f:d0497 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97 GAO-04-97 Health care services Health insurance Hospitals Payments Surgery Managed health care Policy evaluation Health care personnel Standards (health care) Medicare Program Other Written Product A09120 Medicare pays for assistant-atsurgery services under both the hospital inpatient prospective payment system and the physician fee schedule. Payments under the physician fee schedule are limited to a few health professions. In 2001, Congress directed GAO to report on the potential impact on the Medicare program of allowing physician fee schedule payments to Certified Registered Nurse First Assistants for assistant-at-surgery services. This report examines: (1) who serves as an assistant-atsurgery, (2) whether health professionals who perform the role must meet a uniform set of professional requirements, and (3) whether Medicare's payment policies for assistants-at-surgery are consistent with the goals of the program and, if not, whether there are alternatives that would help attain those goals. GAO analyzed information provided by physician and other health professional associations and Medicare payment data. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97.pdf GAO-04-97 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-97 Other Written Product GAO-04-97; Medicare: Payment Changes Are Needed for Assistants-at-Surgery; Health care services Health insurance Hospitals Payments Surgery Managed health care Policy evaluation Health care personnel Standards (health care) Medicare Program Volume 111 Page 251 Volume 111 Page 414 111 Stat. 251 111 Stat. 414 Volume 114 Page 2763 114 Stat. 2763 Public Law 106-554