The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) States that Physicians will be paid correctly

Because Congress waited until late December to pass an intervention to temporarily avert the scheduled cut in 2008 Medicare physician payments, some Medicare contractors have not yet updated their Web sites to reflect the updated physician fee schedule. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have heard from numerous physicians concerned about whether they will be paid correctly under the law. CMS has stated that all contractors were instructed to process claims with January 2008 dates of service using the new fees starting Jan. 7. The new fee schedule should be posted on contractors' Web sites by Jan. 11. The "Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up" link on the CMS Web site, which allows users to customize a search, will be updated with the new 2008 fees during the week of Jan. 21. But the carrier-specific, public-use files are available now on the CMS http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/PFSCSF/list.asp#TopOfPage

The law postpones the 10.1 percent cut in the Medicare conversion factor and instead provides for a 0.5 percent increase through June 30. On July 1, the cut is scheduled to take effect, unless Congress intervenes. CMS has extended the deadline to change participation status to Feb. 15. To become a participating physician, complete the CMS 460 form, which can be found on the CD that was mailed to physicians in November. The form is also available on our Web site at:

http://www.PalmettoGBA.com/boh/Enroll  (Ohio). The CMS 460 form must be post-marked by February 15, 2008, and sent to Medicare Part B, QA-450 Palmetto GBA P.O. Box 182933 Columbus, OH 43218-2933.

Also, if changing your participating status to nonparticipating, please send your request in a letter to the above address, post-marked by February 15. If you have any questions or need further information on participation, please call Brenda Knox at (614) 473-7169.