Pres. Obama Signs Tax Bill Forestalling Physician Pay Cuts

On Dec. 23, 2011, just hours before leaving for the holidays, Congress acted to stall a 27.4 percent cut in Medicare payments that would have gone into affect Jan. 1 of this year. The measure was part of a larger package that included extensions of payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits. President Barack Obama signed the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (TPTCCA) into law the same day.

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2012 PFS Final Rule Stands Corrected

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published corrections to the 2012 Physician Fee Schedule final rule in the Jan. 4 Federal Register.

Several typographical and technical errors needed correction in the preamble and addenda of the final rule that sets Medicare payments to physicians. These corrections are consistent with, and do not make substantive changes to, the policies and payment methodologies that were adopted in the 2012 PFS final rule, so CMS is waiving the standard 30-day comment period and delay in the effective date for these corrections. The document is final and the corrections are effective Jan. 1, 2012.

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CMS Issues Corrections to '12 OPPS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is correcting errors in the 2012 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule. A corrections document, posted Nov. 30, updates some language, adding and deleting services, and tweaking Tables 19 and 59. Corrections are effective Jan. 1 of this year.

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Health Plans Must Comply with New EFT Transaction Standards

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced, Jan. 5, standards effective Jan. 1, 2012 for health care electronic funds transfer (EFT) transactions. The standards, unveiled in an interim final rule with comment period, will apply to all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-covered entities.

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A Sure Sign of I-10 Implementation

Medicare payers have been instructed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a Jan. 6 transmittal to begin their ICD-10 implementation plans.

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Coding Tips

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Medical News

Collaborative Care Pays Off
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AHA Forum Will Discuss What's in Store for Physicians in 2012
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Health Spending Slowed in '09, '10
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Innovation Advisors Selected to Test New Care Delivery Models
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Medical Specialties Develop List of Unnecessary Procedures
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Physician Pay Cuts
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