Health Policy Committee: Consists of the Chairs and Vice-chairs of all the Health Policy Committees. They act as an executive group that reports directly to the Health Policy Council Chair and Vice-chair on the status of all tasks the committees have undertaken and completed.

Code Development and Valuation Committee: This committee works in coordination with the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel and the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value System Update Committee to develop and assign relative value units to radiation oncology CPT codes.

Code Utilization and Application Committee: This committee answers coding questions submitted by members and nonmembers of ASTRO, develops and revises the ASTRO/ACR Guide to Radiation Oncology Coding and reviews, revises and comments on National Correct Coding Initiative edits

Emerging Technology Committee: This committee interacts with government entities, vendors, etc., as a clearinghouse for emerging technologies in the field of radiation oncology. They develop technology assessments to educate the membership and other groups.

Payment Systems Committee: This committee works in coordination with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, formerly called the Health Care Financing Administration. CMS is the agency responsible for administering Medicare and Medicaid. ASTRO works with CMS on policy issues such as the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System/Ambulatory Payment Classifications and other radiation oncology coverage, reimbursement and fraud and abuse issues. We monitor CMS policy very closely, because third-party payers often implement the same or similar policy as Medicare.

Regulatory Committee: Tasks that this committee covers include commenting to Medicare on Local Coverage Determinations, formerly known as Local Medical Review Policies and National Coverage Determinations; acting as liaison between members and managed care organizations regarding their policy and coverage decisions; and drafting ASTRO consensus statements, white papers and model policies on important issues relating to the practice of radiation oncology.