Proposed Prior Authorization Process and Requirements for Certain Hospital Outpatient Department (OPD) Services (CMS-10711)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for establishing a new prior authorization process and requirements for certain outpatient department (OPD) services. This process will be under the authority of §1833(t)(2)(F) which authorizes the Secretary to develop a method for controlling unnecessary increases in the volume of covered OPD services. It will establish criteria for identifying a list of outpatient department services requiring prior authorization and will focus on five groups of OPD services – Blepharoplasty, Botulinum Toxin Injections, Panniculectomy, Rhinoplasty, Vein Ablation, and their related services. CMS recently completed an analysis of the volume of covered OPD services furnished and recognized significant increases in the utilization volume of these services. CMS believes a prior authorization process for OPD services would ensure beneficiaries receive medically necessary care while protecting the Medicare Trust Funds from improper payments and unnecessary utilization

The latest form for Proposed Prior Authorization Process and Requirements for Certain Hospital Outpatient Department (OPD) Services (CMS-10711) expires 2023-07-31 and can be found here.