Contents tagged with medicare
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CMS names first ACOs approved for the Medicare Shared Savings Program
CMS names first ACOs approved for the Medicare Shared Savings Program
posted 04.26.12
Twenty-seven accountable care organizations, or ACOs, have been approved by the Centers for Medicare and … more
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CMS announces measures to target Medicare fraud and abuse
CMS announces measures to target Medicare fraud and abuse
New demonstrations to test pre-payment RAC review and prior authorization of power mobility devices
By Kate Alfano
The Centers for … more
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HHSC eliminates Medicaid payments of Medicare Part B coinsurance, deductibles for dual-eligible patients
HHSC eliminates Medicaid payments of Medicare Part B coinsurance, deductibles for dual-eligible patients
posted 01.24.12
As part of an effort to reduce the cost of Medicaid to the state, the 82nd … more
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AAFP launches renewed push to block Medicare payment cut and repeal SGR
AAFP launches renewed push to block Medicare payment cut and repeal SGR
posted 01.24.12
With the U.S. Congress back in session after its holiday break, AAFP has launched a renewed campaign to … more
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Congress reaches deal on SGR extension
Congress reaches deal on SGR extension
posted 12.22.11
According to multiple news sources, Congress has reached a last-minute compromise that will avert the 27.4 percent cut in Medicare physician … more
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Congress fails to pass Medicare pay patch, CMS to hold claims
Congress fails to pass Medicare pay patch, CMS to hold claims
posted 12.21.11
The U.S. House of Representatives has rejected a Senate-approved bill that would have provided a short-term fix to … more
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Congress likely to approve one-year SGR extension
Congress likely to approve one-year SGR extension
posted 12.13.11
As Congress prepares to wrap up work before the holidays, there are several pending pieces of legislation that may delay their … more
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Supercommittee’s failure leaves little time to avert Medicare cut
You’ve probably heard by now that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the “supercommittee,” failed in its efforts to reach a budget compromise. The 12 congressional lawmakers had until Thanksgiving to formulate a plan to trim at least $1.2 trillion in federal spending, and health care advocates hoped they’d also include a fix for the flawed Medicare payment formula, the SGR, in this plan.
This wasn’t wishful thinking; years of temporary fixes weigh heavily on the deficit. Plus, the committee had been granted special authorization to find and score savings wherever they could. Up until this point, insiders promised that committee members were seriously considering including an SGR fix, which would prevent a planned 27.4-percent cut in Medicare physician payment come Jan. 1. Not only is this cut still on the table, automatic reductions triggered by the supercommittee’s inaction will cut another 2 percent in Medicare payment in 2013.
A health care lobbyist told the Associated Press that “lawmakers of both parties wanted to deal with the cuts to doctors, but a fundamental partisan divide over tax increases blocked progress of any kind.”
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Last chance for e-prescribing penalty exemption
Last chance for e-prescribing penalty exemption
posted 10.18.11
Physicians who did not submit 10 e-prescribing claims by June 30, 2011, will receive a 1-percent penalty applied to the Physician … more
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Developments in Medicare physician pay…plus the backup plan
Now that the 12 members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction have begun meeting to develop a plan to trim at least $1.2 trillion in federal spending, advocacy groups and politicos have ramped up their effort to influence what goes on to and what stays off of the chopping block.
Since our last blog post, AAFP has taken significant steps to encourage the supercommittee to avoid making damaging cuts to Medicare and graduate medical education. AAFP met with representatives from seven medical societies and seven professional organizations on Sept. 7 to develop a unified strategy for the house of medicine, with AAFP still holding strong to the position that the SGR should be repealed or, barring that, the committee should enact a five-year Medicare payment fix that includes a 3-percent higher payment rate for primary care physicians.
During this week’s Congress of Delegates meeting, AAFP launched a grassroots campaign that calls for AAFP Delegates and other members to send a letter to their Congressional representatives asking for immediate repeal of the SGR. AAFP already sent its own letter to the “super 12” on Aug. 10 outlining its asks, and the 12 AAFP state chapters in which a supercommittee member lives requested meetings with their super person during the Congressional recess that extended through Labor Day. Texas is, of course, home to committee co-chair U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and Doug Curran, M.D., TAFP past president, current TMA board member, and constituent from Athens, has a meeting scheduled with the representative in the next couple of weeks.
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