Medicare

Medicare

With Medicare payment reforms being proposed in both bodies of Congress, MSV will keep you abreast of changes in reimbursement, CMS policy, and incentive programs. In 2008 MSV played a key role in convincing Virginia legislators to overturn the presidential veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. This legislation replaces the 10.6 percent payment cut that went into effect on July 1 with a 0.5 percent update extension through December 31, 2008. For calendar year 2009, the update will be 1.1 percent.

If Medicare policies and programs such as the National Provider Identification Registry (NPI), Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and the Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) are presenting challenges for your practice, MSV's Practice Services staff can help address your related questions and concerns. MSV seminars such as CMS Recovery Audit Contractor Program: Are You a Target? and Evaluation & Management Auditing can help you identify strategies for protecting your practice's reimbursement.

For more information, please visit the links below or contact MSV Practice Services at 800 | 746-6768 ext 1060 or by e-mail.

Resources

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA) Web site

Trailblazer Health Web site

Medicare Fee Schedule Search Tool (trailblazerhealth.com)

Medicare Participation Options for Physicians (ama-assn.org PDF)

Medicare Appeals Proccess (cms.hhs.gov PDF)

Tutorial: Medicare 101: The Basics (kaiserEDU.org)

Tutorial: Medicare Drug Benefit (kaiserEDU.org)

AMA and MGMA partner to help members with Medicare enrollment
21 April 2009

2009 Virginia Medicare Supplement Insurance Premium Comparison Guide Available
9 April 2009

CMS releases 2010 Medicare Advantage payment rates
7 April 2009

Appealing a Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Overpayment: Understanding the Appeals Process (PDF)
24 March 2009

Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) and Medicare Presentation (PDF)
March 2009

RAC Medical Record Request Limits (hhs.gov PDF)

Availability of an interim study of alternative payment localities under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
16 October 2008

CMS prohibits signature stamps
9 October 2008

Locum tenens Q & A
15 August 2006

News & Headlines

New 2011 Medicare payment rule implements key provisions of reform law
07 July 2010
Medicare PECOS enrollment deadline delayed
1 July 2010
Medicare to allow non-par providers to change participation status
1 July 2010
July 6 Medicare PECOS enrollment deadline
28 June 2010
Congress acts: Another temporary Medicare patch goes to president for signature
25 June 2010
Health reform changes to Medicare effective July 6, 2010
21 June 2010
Medicare and Medicaid payments update: Congress continues to debate
24 June 2010
Statement of the state and specialty medical societies on the Medicare physician payment crisis (PDF)
10 June 2010
Physician deadline for Medicare PECOS enrollment changed to July 6
17 June 2010
CMS to begin processing Medicare claims tomorrow; Congressional action uncertain on Medicare physician payments
17 June 2010
FAQs regarding Medicare cuts
15 June 2010
Bill introduced to extend Medicare election period
3 June 2010
Senate turns its back on seniors and military families (ama-assn.org)
27 May 2010
Q & A: Charging Medicare beneficiaries interest fees
24 May 2010
Save the date for the CMS 2010 ICD-10/5010 national provider conference call – June 15, 2010
20 May 2010
Action needed: Medicare payment issue is sticking point in bill
20 May 2010
Legislative Alert 04.16.10
Boucher: Restore Medicare dollars (martinsvillebulletin.com)
1 April 2010
Private Medicare plans face questions (roanoke.com)
31 March 2010
What is the impact of creating an Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)?
19 March 2010
Senate passes Medicare payment extension bill
10 March 2010
Local doctor protests Medicare cuts (wset.com)
4 March 2010
Medicare's PECOS registration deadline extended until 2011
3 March 2010
21 percent Medicare cut postponed for 31 days
3 March 2010
Senate inaction on Medicare – 21 percent cut will take effect Monday
26 February 2010
Medicare cut scheduled for March 1 -- Temporary SGR patch discussions continue
25 February 2010
Medicare cut scheduled for March 1 – Temporary patch in the works
24 February 2010
Medicare appeals process (PDF)
24 February 2010
Medicare appeals process information
24 February 2010
Virginia medical societies urge Sens. Warner and Webb to support Medicare SGR fix
2 February 2010
CMS revises interpretive guidelines for anesthesia services in hospitals
28 January 2010
AMA joins forces with AARP and MOAA to urge Senate action on Medicare pay cuts
27 January 2010
Payers react to new Medicare consultation code policy
11 January 2010
Medicare consultation code policy guidance
11 January 2010
Medicare audit program starts requesting records in Virginia
7 January 2010
CMS to hold claims for 10 business days; Participation deadline extended
23 December 2009
AMA and MSV urge CMS to end physician fraud training requirements
22 December 2009
21 percent Medicare cut averted
21 December 2009
House passes bill with Medicare SGR extension
17 December 2009
MSV weighs in on SGR repeal
17 December 2009
Prospects for SGR repeal
9 December 2009
Medicare participation enrollment period extended
1 December 2009
Will Congress allow a 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut on Jan. 1? (ama-assn.org)
24 November 2009
Rep. Eric Cantor meets with MSV to discuss SGR vote
20 November 2009
House passes SGR fix bill
20 November 2009
AMA response to Republican members of Ways and Means Committee on Medicare SGR fix (PDF)
19 November 2009
House passes H.R. 3961—legislation to permanently repeal the SGR
19 November 2009
2010 Medicare Annual Participation Enrollment Program extension
19 November 2009
AMA sponsors radio ads to raise awareness of Medicare vote in Virginia
16 November 2009
AMA ad campaign urges House lawmakers to pass HR 3961
13 November 2009
CMS issues final rule for physician supervision in outpatient hospital departments - providers will benefit from relaxed supervision requirements in 2010
6 November 2009
House introduces bill to reform Medicare physician payment
5 November 2009
The 2010 Medicare physician payment final rule
5 November 2009
Final Medicare 2010 payment rule confirms deep cuts to physicians, puts seniors’ access to care at risk
30 October 2009
Medicare to release quality reporting payments and feedback reports
9 October 2009
The 2010 OIG Work Plan
12 October 2009
Medicare fee-for-service emergency preparedness questions and answers
3 September 2009
Congress takes drugs out of Medicare physician payment formula
1 July 2009
CMS proposes 21.5% cut to physician payments for 2010
1 July 2009
Changes to the physician quality reporting initiative and the electronic prescribing incentive program (cms.hhs.gov)
1 July 2009
CMS mandatory insurer reporting requirements
16 June 2009
New Medicare conditions of coverage and interpretive guidelines for ambulatory surgery centers
5 June 2009
For Virginia Medicare and Medicaid physicians: Spring update on policies from CMS (PDF)
Spring 2009
Medicare | CMS Announces Series of Proposed Regulations, Including Payment Cuts
4 May 2009
Health reform on tap, but doctors must wait again (thehill.com)
4 May 2009
House Budget Resolution Paves the Way for Permanent Medicare Physician Payment Reform
3 April 2009
MSV urges Reps. Nye and Perriello to support Medicare budget resolution (PDF)
2 April 2009
Medicare 101 (allhealth.org)
16 March 2009
Rhetoric and reality in the economic stimulus package: The AMA’s approach to health system reform
18 February 2009
CMS bans WellPoint from marketing, selling Medicare plans
14 January 2009
CMS final rule on Medicare physician payment changes effective Jan. 1, 2009
13 November 2008
Final 2009 Physician Payment Rule Implements New Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (raconline.org)
31 October 2008
PQRI survey results released by AMA
30 October 2008
CR 5550 clarification - signature requirements
16 October 2008
Physician signature requirements for diagnostic tests
16 October 2008
Medicare publishes billing edits to reduce payment errors
9 October 2008
Modern Healthcare Alert: CMS names RAC program companies
9 October 2008
New Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Grouper software now available
9 September 2008
CMS 'clarifies' 10 business-day holding period on Medicare claims
5 August 2008
Medicare Advantage update
August 2008
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
16 July 2008

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Medicare

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