Part B News | Editors' Blog

CMS: 21,000 docs have registered for EHR money

by: Grant Huang Feb 25, 2011

More than 21,000 providers have registered on CMS's electronic health record (EHR) attestation and reporting website in January, according to an agency press release issued Feb. 23. This figure represents roughly 2.3% of the 916,000 providers enrolled in Medicare with participating status, according to my analysis of CMS's provider enrollment numbers from its 2009 Data Compendium.

The agency is touting this statistic with some relish. "This strong early interest in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs among providers and state Medicaid programs is most welcome and very encouraging," CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD, said in a prepared statement.

New urology code tied to only one device and vendor

by: Grant Huang Feb 22, 2011

Image used with permission from Uroplasty

Urologists have a new code to describe posterior tibial neurostimulation, which was previously billed using unlisted code 64999. However, it's slow going for the new code, 64566 (posterior tibial neurostimulation, percutaneous needle electrode, single treatment, $129.11). There is currently only one device on the market that can perform the procedure -- the Urgent PC, manufactured by Minnesota-based Uroplasty.

TrailBlazer: Our latest review found error rates of 50% to 90% on E/Ms

by: Grant Huang Feb 21, 2011

Can you imagine getting nine out of every 10 established E/M codes wrong -- some d/owncoded, others denied outright? That's the claim -- no pun intended -- being made by TrailBlazer (the Medicare carrier) in its most recent medical review findings. TrailBlazer uncovered average error rates of between 50% and 90% across a total of 200 claims, randomly chosen from multiple practices in all of its covered states.

Obama's proposed 2012 budget includes 2-year pay fix

by: Grant Huang Feb 15, 2011

Just in time for Valentine's Day, President Obama's proposed 2012 budget was unveiled Feb. 14 and includes a two-year physician payment fix that freezes the 25% cut called for by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). The two years are theoretically fully paid for by savings that HHS/CMS expects to reap from Medicare and Medicaid. These expected savings come from two sources: payments recovered by federal fraud and abuse efforts, and better prices on drugs purchased by the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

CMS: MA plans see lower premiums, higher enrollment

by: Grant Huang Feb 14, 2011

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have actually seen increased enrollment and lower premiums, according to the latest data from CMS. Agency chief Donald Berwick MD touted the news during his Feb. 10 testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee. The data shows that, on average, premiums have fallen 6% while enrollment numbers have increased by 6%, to a total of more than 12 million MA beneficiaries.

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