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In the wee hours of the morning, 63 senators voted to end debate on a defense bill containing a 60-day delay of the sustainable growth rate (SGR) cut to Medicare reimbursements. The vote clears the way for a final Senate vote scheduled for Saturday.

You're not the only one wondering where is CMS's Comprehensive Error Rate Test (CERT) report for 2009. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) fired off a letter to HHS and CMS asking: what's the hold up?

The House Appropriations Committee tucked in a Department of Defense appropriations bill a two-month, zero percent update to the conversion factor used to calculate Medicare payments. This means the 2009 conversion factor of $36.0666 won't be subject to a 21.29% cut until March 1, 2010 -- providing a "bridge," buying federal lawmakers another 60 days, to finding a more permanent solution to a flawed Medicare payment formula.

You probably expected Congress to procrastinate in passing a legislative fix to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) cut to your Medicare payments. But a meaningful solution to the scheduled 21.29% cut to reimbursements would have been nice by now.

CMS issues guidance on modifier AI and E/M service billing in a world without consults.

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