Frequently Asked Questions about Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014

This document contains frequently asked questions about the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, Clinical Decision Support Mechanisms (CDSMs), and the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) Section 218(b) of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 that directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a program to promote consultation of appropriate use criteria (AUC) by ordering physicians prior to referring Medicare beneficiaries for advanced diagnostic imaging services beginning on January 1, 2017.