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 2007-06-28 monographic deposited born digital 71 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-734 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734 P0b002ee18037b61f f:d07734 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734 GAO-07-734 Beneficiaries Cost sharing (finance) Disease detection or diagnosis Financial analysis Health care facilities Medical equipment Medical examinations Medical procedures Medical technology Medicare Physicians Policy evaluation Skilled labor Skilled nursing facilities Cost estimates Policies and procedures Other Written Product A71628 Medicare spending on imaging services, among which are ultrasound procedures that use sound waves to facilitate diagnosis, nearly doubled from 1999 to 2004. The Congress required GAO to examine Medicare's payment methods for ultrasound procedures and whether the technicians that conduct them--called sonographers--should be subject to qualification standards, such as having to undergo a certification process called credentialing. This report addresses (1) the ultrasound procedures commonly used to diagnose medical conditions of Medicare beneficiaries, particularly for beneficiaries in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), (2) the financial impact of changing how Medicare pays for ultrasound exams and associated equipment and ambulance transportation for beneficiaries in a SNF, and (3) the factors for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to consider in determining whether to establish credentialing or other requirements for sonographers. For this review, GAO analyzed Medicare claims data and conducted interviews and literature reviews. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734.pdf GAO-07-734 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-734 Other Written Product GAO-07-734; Medicare Ultrasound Procedures: Consideration of Payment Reforms and Technician Qualification Requirements; Beneficiaries Cost sharing (finance) Disease detection or diagnosis Financial analysis Health care facilities Medical equipment Medical examinations Medical procedures Medical technology Medicare Physicians Policy evaluation Skilled labor Skilled nursing facilities Cost estimates Policies and procedures Volume 106 Page 3547 106 Stat. 3547 Volume 111 Page 251 111 Stat. 251 Volume 112 Page 1864 112 Stat. 1864 Volume 113 Page 1501 113 Stat. 1501 Volume 117 Page 2066 117 Stat. 2066 Volume 118 Page 1738 118 Stat. 1738 Public Law 102-539 Public Law 105-33 Public Law 105-248 Public Law 106-113 Public Law 108-173 Public Law 108-365