List of Designated Health Services Revised

On December 31, 2002, the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) published the latest update on the list of CPT/HCPCS codes defined as designated health services and therefore subject to the Stark law.  The update includes 46 additions and 26 deletions.

The revised list of codes, effective March 1,  specifies the services and procedures defined as DHS in the categories of (1) clinical laboratory services, (2) physical therapy services (including speech-language pathology services), (3) occupational therapy services, (4) radiology and certain other imaging services, and (5) radiation therapy services and supplies. The Stark law will prohibit physician referrals of services represented by codes payable by Medicare and Medicaid  when the referral is to an entity with which the referring physician has a financial relationship and no exception applies. 
 

Find the list of added and deleted codes  on pages 80017-80018 of the Dec. 31, 2002 Federal Register; the full code list begins on page 80172.