CMS is giving physicians and non-physician practitioners (NPPs) an extra chance to switch their Medicare status from non-participating to participating between now and July 16. This extra window is being provided because of the 2.2% medicare payment increase under the pay-fix bill that passed June 24, the agency says. If you're currently non-par, you must complete the usual CMS-460 form and mail it by July 16, 2010 ... (read more).

Rumors on the release date for CMS's final meaningful use rule have been circulating for the last few weeks, with most educated guesses coalescing around July 16 as the latest date. These guesses are coming from some very well-informed folks who will speak at our live conference on electronic health records (EHRs), so I decided to see if they were on target. Earlier this week, I fired off an email to some folks I know at the HHS Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to see what they were willing to say ... (read more)

The Senate's six-month Medicare pay patch proposal has received a chilly reception in the House of Representatives, so far. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has panned the bill as "inadequate" and called on the Senate to pass an expansive package of tax provisions, extenders and the House Democrats' 19-month doc fix.

"The inadequate legislation on physicians' fees that Senate Republicans allowed to pass today is a great disappointment," Pelosi stated in a press release on Friday. "The House has approved long-term reform that ensures that Medicare patients will have access to quality physicians' services."

The House's American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act failed to gain enough support to pass procedural hurdles in the Senate last week. The Senate only passed the six month fix - which retroactively raises Medicare reimbursements by 2.2% from June 1 through Nov. 30 - by unanimous consent after CMS began processing physician claims with the 21.3% sustainable growth rate (SGR) cut on Friday. The SGR cut only effects claims with dates of service on or after June 1. 

A massive surge in traffic to CMS's online Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) website is causing significant performance problems. It seems a huge number of practices are signing on to update their providers' PECOS information as the July 6 deadline for the ordering/referring rule nears. A technician at the EUS Help Desk acknowledged the issue and said it was being caused by "lots of people signing and accessing their accounts." Nothing can be done to mitigate the sudden burden on the server, and she suggested users try signing off and accessing the system in the late afternoon or evening, when traffic is usually lower ... (read full post)

The Senate passed a six-month Medicare payment fix just hours after CMS ordered carriers to begin processing claims with the scheduled 21.3% reimbursement cut. The pay fix bill needs to pass the House of Representatives, which is in recess until Tuesday June 22, before it can go to the president for his signature.

The temporary pay fix includes a 2.2% boost to Medicare reimbursements retroactive to June 1.

The House initially voted for a 19-month pay fix, but the legislation failed to gain enough support to pass procedural hurdles in the Senate. It remains to be seen how House leaders will react to the reduced Senate measure.  

CMS sent a memo advising lawmakers that it has begun to pay June 1 claims with the 21.3% cut after delaying claims processing for 17 days.  "We continue to monitor Congressional actions, and if Congress changes the negative update that is currently in effect, we are prepared to act expeditiously to make the appropriate changes to Medicare claims processing systems," the memo stated.