Medicare program; assistants at surgery--HCFA. Interim final rule with comment period.

These revised regulations provide that Medicare will pay on a reasonable charge basis for the services of a physician who actively assists the physician in charge of a case in performing a surgical procedure (i.e., an assistant at surgery) in teaching hospitals only under certain specific conditions. They also establish new rules for determining the amount of payment for services furnished by assistants at surgery in all settings. These revisions, which are needed to implement section 113 of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-248) will ensure that reasonable charge payments for services of assistants at surgery are made in conformity with the Medicare law, and are reasonable in amount.