Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Proposes Policy, payment changes for physician services in 2008 |
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CMS announced the proposed rule that would establish new policies and payment rates for physicians and other providers who are paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule. The proposed Physician Fee Schedule shows Medicare's determination to continue the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) in 2008 by expanding the set of quality measures and warns that physicians are, indeed, facing a nearly 10% pay cut. It is IMPERATIVE that physicians voice their concern regarding these proposed payment cuts. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently announced that Medicare physician payment rates would be reduced by 10 percent in 2008 under current law. The 110th Congress, under Democratic leadership, will again be reviewing the perennial issue of Medicare’s annual payment update to physicians, which is controlled by the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. Late last year, Congress passed H.R. 6111, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act, which intervened to stop the impending 5 percent cut to Medicare physician reimbursement. Due to a myriad of federal budgetary rules, Congress decided to push the cut, scheduled for 2007, into 2008. This, of course, has resulted in physicians now facing a 10 percent payment cut in 2008 – the original 5 percent cut they faced under the SGR in 2007 along with the additional 5 percent SGR cut for 2008. The AMCNO president has sent a letter to all Congressional leaders from our area and we urge our members to do the same. Members may send letters to Congress directly through the AMCNO website at www.amcnoma.org - click on the Legislation link then click on Find your legislator/eye on the Statehouse to find a sample letter to Congress. The AMCNO is also reviewing the need to send written
comments on the CMS Proposed Rule – Comments are due by August 31, 2007. To
view or download the proposed rule, visit
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/center/physician.asp, click on CMS-1385-P
to send comments on the rule go to: |
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