Medicare is proposing that all physician practices providing diagnostic testing must enroll as independent diagnostic testing facilities effective as of September 30, 2009. A copy of the comments on the proposal is attached.
This proposal would make physician practices subject to the performance standards for independent diagnostic testing facilities. This will …
The AP (7/11) reports, "President Bush intends to block a bill protecting doctors from a cut in their Medicare pay, even though Congress has enough votes to override his veto, a White House spokesman indicated on Thursday." The President opposes "reduce[d] spending on private…
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EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW ALERT
June 25, 2008
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY – NEW LAW PROVIDES NEW EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
PLAN RIGHTS TO MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND THEIR SURVIVORS
Effective immediately, a new federal law, called the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (HEART Act), requires action to be taken by sponsors of qualified retirement…
The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services posted the proposed 2009 Medicare Fee Schedule Rule on July 7, 2008. The link to those rules was provided in an earlier Medlaw Blog post.
The proposals include numerous items, but I would like to highlight the following:
1. Proposed changes to the Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility (IDTF
enrollment requirements; …
Congress
Clash on Preventing Cut to Doctor Payments
Centers on How to Pay for Medicare Bill
By ANNA WILDE MATHEWS
July 7, 2008
Before Congress took the July 4th week off, a partisan standoff in the Senate blocked a bill that would prevent a cut in doctors’ Medicare fees. When members return to Capitol Hill…
On June 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted at the Office of Federal Register its Proposed 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule. The rule is scheduled to be published in the July…
The Questions and Answers below apply to the recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services to hold for up to 10 business days claims paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) that contain July 2008 dates of service.
Q1. Will claims containing services paid under the MPFS be held that …
In continuing coverage from previous editions of Health and Life Sciences Law Daily, the New York Times (6/27, Pear) reports that physicians now "face a 10 percent cut in Medicare payments next week, following the Senate’s failure on Thursday to take up legislation that would have…
The Medicare rules for the physician fee schedule (RB-RVS) would have mandated a 10% reduction for 2008 pursuant to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Congress postponed that for the first 6 months of 2008, but he 2nd 6 months is looming. Without actionmt he postmenement ends and the automatic 10.1% reduction kicks in automatically. The House has approved another reprieve. Quick Senate action is expected. Excerpts form the WSJ report follow.
Expect the current elected officials to enact the reprieve for the next 6 months and pass this problem on to the new administration.Continue Reading House Approves Medicare Physician Fee Freeze for 2008
