Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Plus: Physician signatures, cytology rates on the line.Welcome to another round of tense waiting to see if you'll get a dramatic reduction in 2012 Medicare payments for your pathology services. "The calendar year 2012 physician fee schedule [PFS] conversion factor is $24.6712," notes the Physician 2012 Medicare fee schedule Final Rule, printed in the Nov. 28 Federal Register, and that could mean a big cut in your pay.Look for Congressional ReliefThe conversion factor (CF), scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, amounts to a dismal 27.4 percent cut compared to the current rate of $33.9764. CMS acknowledges that this massive cut may not be set in stone, stating, "While Congress has provided temporary relief from these reductions every year since 2003, a long-term solution is critical. We will continue to work with Congress to fix this untenable situation so doctors and beneficiaries no longer have to worry [...]