ChiroCode Alerts - March 30, 2010
by LaMont J. Leavitt, President/CEO of ChiroCode Institute
1. Medicare Fee Schedule Update
2. 7 Ways to End Payment Headaches!
3. ChiroCode Hot Topics Monthly Newsletter
4. The New GX Modifier and how it applies to Chiropractic
5. Penalties for HIPAA Violations are Becoming Scarier
1. Medicare Fee Schedule Update
Here we are again at the end of the month with a temporary freeze to the 21.5% cut in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule about to expire. Another extension bill, HR 4851, has passed the House on a voice vote but was stopped in the Senate by Senator Coburn. The House and Senate have both adjourned for Easter until April 12. Due to this delay, Medicare has again issued a memo as follows:
U.S. House and Senate Notification
Monday, March 29, 2010
To: Congressional Health Staff
From: Amelia Smith
Acting Director, Congressional Affairs Group
Office of Legislation
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Subject: 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with Congress, health care providers, and the beneficiary community to avoid disruption in the delivery of health care services and payment of claims for physicians, non-physician practitioners, and other providers of services paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS). The Temporary Extension Act of 2010, enacted on March 2, 2010, extended the zero percent (0%) update to the 2010 MPFS through March 31, 2010.
We believe Congress is working to avoid the negative update that will take effect April 1, 2010. Consequently, CMS has instructed its contractors to hold claims containing services paid under the MPFS for the first 10 business days of April. The holding of MPFS claims will only affect claims with dates of service April 1, 2010, and forward. This hold should have a minimum impact on provider cash flow because, under current law, clean electronic claims are not paid any sooner than 14 calendar days (29 for paper claims) after the date of receipt.
Thank you.
As the temporary hold is for 10 business days, it will extend until April 14, two days after the Senate returns. It is hoped that the Senate will resolve this issue at that time. Two things should be noted; one, HR 4851 only extends the freeze until April 30 and two, there is increasing pressure to address where the money will come from to pay for these extensions. This situation is literally a month-by-month, your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine situation. We thank Dr. Ron Short, DC, MCS-P for continuing to monitor this situation and keeping us informed.
2. 7 Ways to End Payment Headaches!
If you missed Dr. Tom Necela's March 25th webinar on how to fix common payment hassles and get paid for what you do, on time - every time, you're in luck! You and your staff are invited to watch the recorded replay and some of our more recent webinars at www.chirocode.com/webinars
Also check out some of Dr. Necela's great products in our online store including the Chiropractic Appeals Toolkit and How to Prepare Your Chiropractic Practice for Recovery Audits.
3. ChiroCode Hot Topics Monthly Newsletter
ChiroCode Hot Topics monthly newsletter is your source for critical coding and reimbursement news-published monthly.
Recent features include:
- Can You Charge for Requests for Records?
- Medicare Update: Report on Fee schedules, and the Chiropractic Demonstration Project
- Answering the Patient's Four Toughest Financial Questions
- New Modifier -GX Is Effective April 1, 2010
- Watching Out For Electronic Records
- An EHR Stimulus Advisory
Visit www.chirocode.com to subscribe.
4. The New GX Modifier and how it applies to Chiropractic
Presented by Dr. Ron Short
ChiroCode Webinar: Thursday, April 8, 2010
Time: 4 pm Eastern, 3 pm Central, 2 pm Mountain, 1 pm Pacific
Medicare has introduced a new GX modifier that will be effective on April 5.. Medicare has developed very specific protocols for the use of this modifier. Dr. Ron Short will show you how and when to properly use this new modifier and what it will mean to you and your practice.
Click here to reserve your seat today: https://www.chirocode.com/webinars
5. Penalties for HIPAA Violations are Becoming Scarier
Until this year, HIPAA civil monetary penalties represented something of an empty threat to covered entities because the fines were almost never imposed. Yet with the signing of the HITECH Act, which ups enforcement using a tiered penalty system, and the recent government push toward accountability, the possibility of a HIPAA violation has become a much scarier thought.
A privacy breach due to "willful neglect" that was corrected within 30 days and affected 100 individuals, which would have cost an organization $10,000 in prior years, will now cost a minimum of $1 million.
Read more: http://www.aishealth.com/Bnow/hbd021210.html
See also page D-14 of the 2010 ChiroCode DeskBook for updated guidelines regarding then new HITECH security regulations.
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