Letter from Mark B. McClellan to Shelley Berkley, September 1, 2006, regarding reimbursements for breast cancer and osteoporosis screening programs (1 page)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Washington, DC 20201 SEP " 1 2006 The Honorable Shelley Berkley House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Ms. Berkley: Thank you for your letter regarding reduced reimbursements for technologies used in breast cancer and osteoporosis screening programs and breast biopsies. On June 29, the proposed rule, CMS-1512-PN, "Five Year Review of Work Relative Value Units Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Proposed Changes to the Practice Expense Methodology," was published in the Federal Register. The comment period for this rule ended on August 21. The purpose of the proposed rule was to solicit comments from interested parties. We have received many responses, including some that express concerns similar to yours. All comments received during the comment period will be considered before the final rule is published. A summary of the comments and our responses will be included with the final regulation. I appreciate your interest in this important matter as we work towards our mutual goal of strengthening the Medicare program. I will also provide this response to the cosigners of your letter. Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.