Congress passes fee fix, avoids 27% physician pay cut
Physicians are safe from the impending 27.4% cut to their Medicare payments set to hit March 1 thanks to Congress passing a temporary ‘doc fix’ Friday through the end of 2012.
The vote to extend the payroll tax holiday bill and keep the current $34.0376 conversion rate through Dec. 31 comes on the heels of intense debate among Congress members as to whether preventing the pay cut was fiscally sound. The $150 billion bill failed to include deeper cuts requested by GOP Congress members but remained largely budget neutral.
Congress originally approved a two-month fix that was set to expire Feb. 29. Once signed into law, the new fee fix will be good through Dec. 31.
ACO Resources now available from CMS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Medicare Learning Network
is offering several resources for providers looking for information on accountable care organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Several electronic fact sheets that address topics are now available, including how to participate in an ACO and improve quality of care and information on the advanced payment model for ACOs. New fact sheets are also available detailing final rule provisions for ACOs under the shared savings program and fact sheets provide information on the methodology for determining shared savings and losses under the program.
