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CMA Responds to Release of Medicare Part B Payment Data

California Medical Association Responds to Release of Medicare Part B Payment Data — April 9, 2014 Sacramento — Richard Thorp, MD, president of the California Medical Association (CMA), issued the following statement in response to Medicare Part B payment data released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “CMA joins our partners in organized medicine, including the American Medical Association (AMA), in our commitment to transparency, and, to that end, we support any release of data that will help to improve patient safety and quality of care. “Our concern with ...

Medicare EPs Must Attest by March 31, at 11:59pm ET to Receive 2013 Incentive

Reminder: Medicare Eligible Professionals (EPs) Must Attest by March 31, 2014, at 11:59 pm ET to Receive 2013 Incentive! From the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Due to the large volume of providers attesting, please submit your data as soon as possible and during non-peak hours to avoid system delays. If you are an eligible professional, the last day you can register and attest to demonstrating meaningful use for the 2013 Medicare EHR Incentive Program is March 31, 2014. You must successfully attest by 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time on March ...

House, Senate Leaders Introduce SGR Replacement Bill

House, Senate Leaders Introduce SGR Replacement Bill Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal Ends the Cycle of Annual ‘Doc Fix’ Crises, Shifting Medicare to Reward Quality, Efficiency, and Innovation  February 6, 2014 By the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee WASHINGTON — House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-Mich.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), and House Energy and ...

CMS Publishes 2014 Medicare Fee Schedule

From CMA's December 16, 2013, CMA Alert On November 27, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 1,369-page 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, which was published in the December 10 Federal Register. Most provisions take effect January 1, 2014, although a few issues are open for public comment by January 27, 2014. The American Medical Association (AMA) has published a summary of the final rule. Below are a few key points: Although the final rule contains the 23.7 percent physician payment cut ...

Avoid the Medicare Quality Reporting Penalty in 2015

By the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association As part of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Medicare will impose a 1.5% penalty in 2015 on physicians and other providers who do not successfully report at least one individual quality measure for at least one patient in 2013. The purpose of this article is to help physicians avoid the penalty in 2015 by providing guidance on how to report at least one measure for at least one patient using Medicare claims. Since most physicians already submit Medicare claims for reimbursement, adding the ...

CMA Comments on the Medicare 2014 Fee Schedule

Click Here to Access the Below Letter in PDF Click Here to Access the Multi-state Letter to CMS Click Here to Access an Excel Spreadsheet on the Impact of the Proposed CY 2014 GPCI Cost Share Weights on Locality GAFs September 6, 2013 Marilyn B. Tavenner Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 445-G 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201 Re: Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule for CY 2014 78 Fed. Reg. 43,281 (July 19, 2013); CMS-1600-P; RIN 0938-AR56 Dear Administrator Tavenner: The California Medical Association (CMA) ...

Medicare Transition to Noridian on MONDAY!

We are just days away from the September 16 cutover date from Palmetto to the new Medicare Part B fee-for-service contractor, Noridian. Although efforts have been made to minimize the burden to practices and to ensure that physicians continue to receive their Medicare payments in a timely fashion after the transition, there are a number of things physicians should be aware of, including: Last Day to Submit to Palmetto: September 11, 2013, is the last day providers may submit electronic claims to Palmetto (2:00pm cutoff time), and the last day ...

Incarcerated Beneficiary Recoveries From Providers

In June and July 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated recoveries from providers and suppliers based on data that indicated a beneficiary was incarcerated on the date of service. Medicare identified previously paid claims that contained a date of service partially or fully overlapping a period when a beneficiary was apparently incarcerated based on information CMS receives from the Social Security Administration (SSA). As a result, a large number of overpayments were identified and overpayment (demand) letters sent. CMS has since learned ...

Medicare Transition on September 16, 2013!

September 16, 2013, is the cutover date for transition of the Medicare Part B fee-for-service contractor from Palmetto GBA to Noridian. Although every effort has been made to minimize the burden to practices and to ensure that physicians continue to receive their Medicare payments in a timely fashion after transition, physician practices will have to make some changes in their processes, including but not limited to: Electronic claim submitters must change the Contractor ID (Payor ID) on their transmissions. The new ID for Northern California jurisdiction ...

Medicare Transition Is One Month Away!

September 16, 2013, is the cutover date for transition of the Medicare Part B fee-for-service contractor from Palmetto GBA to Noridian. Although every effort has been made to minimize the burden to practices and to ensure that physicians continue to receive their Medicare payments in a timely fashion after transition, physician practices will have to make some changes in their processes, including but not limited to: Electronic Claim Submitters Must Change the Contractor ID (Payor ID) on Their Transmissions: The new ID for Northern California jurisdiction ...