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Hope endures for Medicare relief early this year. (Delay in Fee Schedule Until February).
WASHINGTON -- Medical organizations are hoping that an unprecedented delay in the 2003 Medicare physician fee schedule will buy them some time to lobby for legislation to fix the flawed payment formula.
Citing various problems--including concerns about payment for anesthesia services--the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pushed back the effective date for the new payment rates until Feb. 1, 2003.
"This could buy us more time to get Congress to fix the payment formula" before the new rates kick in, perhaps ameliorating a 4.4% cut in physician reimbursement, Richard Trachtman, director of congressional affairs for the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, told this newspaper.
CMS' error in calculating the formula resulted in a 5.4% pay cut in 2002. Physicians around the country have been reporting that the pay reduction hurt their practices, forcing them either to refuse new Medicare patients--or in some cases, drop patients.
Lobbying efforts by medical organizations to get Congress to fix the formula, however, were unsuccessful this year. Several Medicare reform bills got stuck in Congress, including a targeted "giveback" bill from the Senate Finance Committee (5. 3018).
The final blow came in mid-November, when the Senate failed to act on an unemployment benefits bill from the House (H.R. 5063) that would have provided legal protection to CMS, should. it attempt to fix the payment formula.
Administration officials expressed concern that an effort to fix the ...
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...relative work values as part of the fee schedule's five-year review. As far...created earlier this year, unless Congress takes action to extend that process...have an opportunity to address the fee schedule cuts and therapy-cap exceptions...
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...WASHINGTON -- A fix to the physician fee schedule is unlikely outside of the context...go into effect March 1, unless Congress passes legislation to fix the error...enrollment period. Because the fee schedule was not published until Dec. 31...
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- Magazine article from: OB GYN News Lubell, Jennifer December 1, 2005 700+ words
...announcing next year's fee schedule, unless legislation pending in Congress supersedes those...was unclear how Congress ultimately would...rule on the 2006 fee schedule, Dr. McClellan...interested members [of Congress] on payment reform...
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- Press release article from: PR Newswire November 3, 2005 700+ words
...underscore the urgency for Congress to take action this year to...January 1, 2006, but if Congress fails to take action, these...same time." Massey urged Congress to take immediate action to...payments under the physician fee schedule and a $1,740 cap on therapy...
- ACP Decries Medicare Final Rule on Fee Schedule; Urges Congress to Take Action.
- News wire article from: The America's Intelligence Wire November 3, 2003 700+ words
...rule for its 2004 physician fee schedule on Aug. 31, drawing an immediate...of Physicians (ACP) for Congress to take immediate action to...Time is running out for Congress to take action to avert a...Modernization Act of 2003" and Congress must assure that such measures...
- Physical Therapist Urges Congress to Revamp Medicare Part B Fee Schedule.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire February 28, 2002 700+ words
...Americans will suffer the consequences of a cut in the Medicare fee schedule, according to Stephen M Levine, PT, MSHA, who testified...stop implementation of the 5.4 percent cut in the Medicare fee schedule and to adopt the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's...
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- Magazine article from: Medical Laboratory Observer May 1, 1984 700+ words
...Certainly, the fee schedule proposal isn't new to Congress. Rep. Ron Wyden...the advance in Congress of the fee schedule alternative...Davis that the fee schedule become the basis...reimbursement. If Congress seeks any further...
Source: HighBeam Research, Hope endures for Medicare relief early this year. (Delay in Fee...