Part B News | Part B News

New Congress may bring change, but not wholesale: ACA likely safe, SGR less so

11/17/2014

Despite the resounding Republican victory in this year’s midterm elections, change in the Medicare world will not come quickly — but watch how next month’s budget voting goes for a hint at the future of reform to the sustainable growth rate (SGR), our experts say.

Home health face-to-face rule: Say goodbye to the physician narrative

11/17/2014

by: Burt Schorr

Your providers’ paperwork burden to certify patients for home health has been eased, thanks to the home health prospective payment system final rule, released Oct. 30.

OIG Work Plan: Watch for specialty, electronic health record issues

11/17/2014

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) added only a few new targets to its 2015 Work Plan, released Oct. 31, preferring to focus on a number of payment and program integrity issues of continuing concern.

Key metrics of better-performing practices to ensure your success

11/17/2014

by: Jennifer Searfoss

Take note of four indicators of physician practice success, as presented during the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2014 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

Ortho, cardiac surgery see hits; primary care practices see higher pay in 2015

11/17/2014

by: Karen Long

Here's a chart of medical specialties and how the physician fee schedule affects their reimbursement rates.

Chronic care management payments arrive with revenue opportunity, hurdles

11/10/2014

by: Roy Edroso

You can start billing for chronic care management (CCM) Jan. 1 and earning $40.39 per month per patient, according to the 1,185-page final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule released Oct. 31.

PQRS in 2015 will require care in measures selection to avoid 2 pay cuts

11/10/2014

by: Julia Kyles

Every provider will be at risk of penalties under the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) and the value modifier in 2015, so become familiar now with next year’s requirements.

RVU shifts change payments, create fee schedule winners and losers in 2015

11/10/2014

by: Scott Kraft

The biggest impacts on the prices Medicare pays for individual services, other than the change to the conversion factor, are the relative value units (RVUs) established for services, which are scheduled to be revalued periodically. Part B News has done some preliminary analysis to identify specialties and services that fared better or worse than average for 2015.

Physicians expect SGR fix to avoid 21% pay cut in April and more from 2015 rule

11/10/2014

by: Richard Scott

Despite the annual steep reimbursement decline in the final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule, not all is doom and gloom: Experts forecast a resolution prior to the March 31 expiration of the current fix, and some think a permanent fix may be on the horizon.

Online exclusive: More coverage of the final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule

11/10/2014

by: Part B News staff

Part B News is providing exclusive online coverage and analysis of the final 2015 Medicare physician fee schedule.

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