Medicare Delays MPFS Payment Cut
President Barack Obama signed into law Dec. 22, 2009 the $636.3 billion Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010 (HR 3326), giving Medicare participating physicians a two month reprieve from payment cuts that were scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1.

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Proposed "Meaningful Use" Criteria Released 12/30
Federal efforts and the monetary incentives to providers and facilities to adopt electronic medical record (EMR) systems hinge on the definition of “meaningful use” and on December 30 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released proposed rules that include that definition. Comments are being sought on the definitions and rules, which differ for providers and facilities for 60 days after publishing. The Meaningful Use criteria must be met by any EMR adopted by a provider or hospital hoping to receive the financial incentives included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), or commonly called the "stimulus package."

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CLFS and Lab Services Annual Update
In with the new and out with the old … codes, that is. Jan. 1 means many codes have been added, revised, or removed to and from the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS). The New Year also means new rates.

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Hospice Reporting Requirements Optional Until April
Hospices should be aware of revised reporting requirements that went into effect Jan. 1. These reporting requirements are optional right now, but they become mandatory April 1. Noncompliance will likely cause delays in claims adjudication.

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Medicare Fraud Strike Force Widens Scope
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Dec. 15, 2009 expansion of Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations to Brooklyn, Tampa, and Baton Rouge.

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