OPPS

American Hospital Association suggests minimum six-month delay in the implementation of pro-rata reductions to the transitional "pass-through" payments for the new technologies portion of the outpatient prospective payment system rule, in a July 23 letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly HCFA) Administrator Thomas Scully. CMS does not currently have the data to accurately determine payment levels for 2002, the association claims. CMS is expected to issue an OPPS proposed rule by Aug. 1