President Signs Bill Extending Medicare Physician Payment Freeze Through May 31
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the following statement this morning:
On April 15, 2010, President Obama signed into law the “Continuing Extension Act of 2010.” This law extends through May 31, 2010, the zero percent update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that was in effect for claims with dates of service January 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010. The law is retroactive to April 1, 2010. Consequently, effective immediately, claims with dates of service April 1 and later, which were being held by Medicare contractors, are being released for processing and payment. Please keep in mind that the statutory payment floors still apply and, therefore, clean electronic claims cannot be paid before 14 calendar days after the date they are received by Medicare contractors (29 calendar days for clean paper claims).
Senate Failure to Pass Extension Causes 21.3% cut to Medicare Physician Payments on April 1
The Senate has adjourned for its two-week “Spring District Work Recess” without approving H.R. 4851, a short-term measure that would have extended the freeze on Medicare’s current physician payment rates through April 30. Several Senate Republicans led by Tom Coburn of Oklahoma objected to classifying the bill, which also included extensions of unemployment benefits and COBRA insurance, as emergency spending. The House of Representatives passed the bill on March 17. By law, the 21.3 percent cut to Medicare physician payments will take effect April 1.
The Senate returns April 12 and has scheduled a cloture vote on the 30-day extension bill for 5:30 p.m. that evening. Physicians should contact their Senators and urge them to permanently address this issue by repealing the sustainable growth rate formula. You can contact your senators via the MGMA Advocacy Center or by calling the American Medical Association Grassroots Hotline, 800.833.6354. Courtesy of MGMA
