CMS: Medicare claims will see 10-day hold starting April 1

by: Grant Huang Mar 26, 2010

I just got an email from a trusty CMS source: Expect a 10-day freeze on payment for all your Medicare claims delivered after April 1. Congress had several proposals to tack on another 30-day delay, but action on these measures stalled. This is basically a precise repeat of the payment-freeze-when-Congress-stalls maneuver you saw at the beginning of 2010.

NOTE: That's 10 full business days, which means the freeze is effective from April 1 to April 14. Ten days is the maximum amount of time carriers are able to hold claims, according to my source. "This will ensure that if Congress acts when it returns, providers will not be hit by a payment reduction," she writes.

Congress is now on its spring break recess, which means our hardworking legislators won't take any action on the 21% cut until April 12, when they return. I hear Cancun is nice this time of year.

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RUTH LANDE

Mar 29, 2010 10:23 AM

Very very frustrating. I understand you were joking re cancun but others may not understand the realities. No House members will be headed for the beach for their break. They are all up for re-election and they will be headed for their home base, working to make sure their constituents are happy with them.

Get politically active- write to your congresspeople about your concerns. Cynicism is attractive and easy, but ultimately self-defeating.

Grant Huang

Mar 26, 2010 4:31 PM

CMS is required to carry out policies mandated by Congress via legislation, so the answer is yes, at least in theory. It will take time for CMS to implement every Medicare-related change, however.

Glenn Corn

Mar 26, 2010 4:22 PM

HR 3590 also extended the cuts to mental health through the year (section 3107). Is Medicare going to update their rates?

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