Medicare Pay Cut Stalled Through May 2010
On April 15, 2010, President Obama signed legislation temporarily stalling the scheduled 21.3 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement rates under Part B, for advanced practice registered nurses, physicians, and other Medicare providers. The “Continuing Extension Act of 2010” extends 2009 payment rates through the end of May 2010, under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and also applies retroactively to April 1. Claims with service dates of April 1 or later, which were being held by Medicare contractors, will be released for processing and payment. The ANA continues to support a long-term solution to the troublesome automatic triggers under the “Sustainable Growth Rate” (SGR) formula. With the multi-billion dollar cost of a permanent fix, this is an uphill battle given the current economic and political climate. But according to CMS official Jonathan Blum, the Administration agrees the SGR formula “is broken and needs to be fixed” and “will continue to work with Congress to find a long-term solution.”
Tags: April 2010, CMS, Continuing Extension Act of 2010, Medicare, Medicare Part B, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, SGR
