Government Relations
GR News
January 18, 2008
CMS Posts Instructions for NOPR QR Deletion – Effective January 1, 2008 Use Q0 (Zero)
CMS released Transmittal R1418CP, CR 5805 notifying PET facilities and Medicare Administrator Contractors that the discontinued QA, QR, and QV HCPCS modifiers are replaced by the new 2008 created modifiers Q0 (zero) and Q1 to identify investigational and routine clinical services provided in a clinical research study approved by Medicare. These two new modifiers are included in the 2008 Annual HCPCS Level II Update. The CR 5805 instructions are to be implemented by the Medicare Contractors no later than April 7, 2008.
Specifically effective for dates of service (DOS) January 1, 2008, modifier QR currently used in the National Oncology PET Registry is replaced with Q0 (Zero.). Additionally, QA is also replaced by Q0 and QV is replaced by Q1. CMS has given the contractors through April 7, 2008 to implement these changes however we expect some contractors might be ready sooner. Check with your local contract for the date their systems will be ready and prepare your chargemaster with theses new modifiers.
