| CMS Announces Final Rule for 2012 MPFS The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule with comment period to update payment policies and rates for physicians and nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) for services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) during 2012. The final rule reflects current law and reflects a 27.4 percent cut in reimbursement for services in 2012 under the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. This is less than the previous estimate of 29.5 percent cut due to lower-than-expected growth in Medicare costs. Click here to read more. |
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 Knee Meniscectomy Medicare Payments Changed in 2012 Medicare Physician Fee ScheduleFor 2012, two common orthopaedic procedures two arthroscopic menisectomy repair codes, CPT code 29880-Arthroscopic Menisectomy Medial and Lateral, and CPT code 29881, Arthroscopic Menisectomy Medial or Lateral saw their relative value units significantly altered by Medicare. Click here to read more. |
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 Studies Question Efficacy of MRIs
A recent article in the New York Times calls into question whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is overused in sports-related injuries. The piece references a study of 101 patients who had shoulder pain lasting at least 6 weeks that found no significant difference in outcomes between the 43 patients diagnosed using MRI or the 58 patients diagnosed only on the basis of a physical exam, history, and radiography. Click here to read more. |
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 Important Reminder: ADI Providers Must Be Accredited by January 2012The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding providers who furnish the technical component of advanced diagnostic imaging (ADI) that they must be accredited by Jan. 1, 2012 in order to bill Medicare for those services during 2012. Section 135(a) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) amended section 1834(e) of the Social Security Act and required the Secretary to designate organizations to accredit suppliers, including but not limited to physicians, non-physician practitioners and Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities, that furnish the technical component (TC) of advanced diagnostic imaging services. Click here to read more. |
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House Votes to Repeal Costly Withholding Tax The U.S. House of Representatives voted by a margin of 405-16 on Thursday, November 3rd to eliminate a requirement that the federal government withhold 3 percent of federal contractor payments beginning in 2012. The rule, which would affect Medicare providers, was enacted in 2006, but has never been implemented. Both parties have said the rule could cost the government more to implement than the money it would generate. The requirement is scheduled to go into effect in 2012. A similar measure is currently under consideration by the Senate, and President Obama called for the elimination of the tax in his $447 billion jobs package. |
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 Rep. Marino Introduces Bill to Protect EMR UsersU.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA) recently introduced legislation that offers legal protection to Medicare and Medicaid providers who use electronic records. According to an announcement released by Rep. Marino’s office, H.R. 3239, the Safeguarding Access for Every Medicare Patient Act, would ensure patient access to Medicare and Medicaid providers; reduce health care costs; guarantee incentives to providers to remain in the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and promote participation in health information technology. Click here to read more. |
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Lawmakers Advocate for Major Changes to FDA Device Review Policies A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers from the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus recently sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to state their concerns over the Agency’s approval and clearance processes. Co-chairs of the Caucus, Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN) and Senators Scott Brown (R-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D- MN) state that the United States accounts for 40% of the global medical technology market that represents two million American jobs. Click here to read more. |
