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COPYRIGHT 2002 International Medical News Group
After a number of years of minor downward adjustments in Medicare fees, physicians and particularly specialists and cardiologists, are now experiencing schedule cuts that put the Wal-Mart price cutters to shame.
Despite a vigorous lobbying effort in Congress by several professional groups, including the American College of Cardiology, the decreases in reimbursement stipulated under the Medicare law came about on Jan. 1 of this year. These changes will result in a 5.4% decrease across the board in physician fees and an average reduction of 8% in the cardiologists' fee schedule. More specifically, fees for echocardiography decreased by 12%, interventional procedures by 14%, and general procedures by 5%.
It is estimated that about...
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