Medical societies and associations have increased pressure and lobbying on Capitol Hill to pass a permanent pay fix to the budget mechanism responsible for the 21% cut to Medicare payments set for March 1. However, as of this morning, there's still no clear answer as to how Congress plans to address it.

When you put patients on a payment plan, it's a good idea to codify the agreement with a written and signed form. You don't want the same person walking back in for an appointment and saying "payment plan? I don't know nothin' about no stinkin' payment plan!" To simplify things, I'm reposting a sample payment plan agreement form based on a form actually being used by a real practice.

President Barack Obama posted his own health care reform bill Monday morning. I gave the 11-page summary document a quick scan and couldn't find language that temporarily or permanently addresses Medicare payment rates. If and when a complete version is posted, I'm guessing a pay-fix to the annual sustainable growth rate (SGR) cuts won't be there because such provisions cost at least $250 billion (thus, very difficult to offset with new taxes and/or spending cuts elsewhere). You still need to look elsewhere for a Medicare payment fix.

We just wanted to share with you this interesting item from our newsletter archives. A news brief in the Jan. 22, 1990, issue of our sister publication the Medicare Compliance Alert (now, Medical Practice Compliance Alert) stated:

Medicare payments to physicians can't increase more than 9.1% in [fiscal year] 1990, if practitioners want to avoid an inflation adjustment penalty in FY 1992. The initial "performance standard," announced by HHS in the Dec. 29 Federal Register, is part of the new physician payment reform law.

We've compiled a list of the most read Part B News online stories since Dec. 1 and this much is clear -- the end of consultation billing weighed heavily on the minds of Part B providers. Four of the top five stories dealt with consults, the other story tackled the 10-day hold on Part B claims at the start of 2010.

Part B News subscribers can read our top five stories by clicking the links listed below. If you're not a subscriber, you can sign-up for a free trial and then access these stories. With the free trial, you receive full access to our news, analysis and expert guidance for 21 days.