CMS 10 Day Hold Again for Medicare Claims – Waiting Until Congress Returns to Deal with Pay Cuts for Doctors and COBRA Subsidies

We are still waiting and once again the 10 day hold is in place to give Congress the opportunity to react and maybe permanently fix this? We would like to see that finally take place. It has been years since the stalls and temporary band aids have been applied. It did get a little further this time with the House taking action and the bill will need to go to the Senate upon their return. Below is the post about the last action taken here.

21% Medicare Cut For Physicians and COBRA Funding Get Another Extension Until June 2nd

The new bill will delay the cuts until 2012, not a permanent fix but one that would get the matter off the “daily” agenda for sure. BD

The House on Friday approved the so-called "extenders" bill (HR 4213), which would extend a series of expiring unemployment and tax benefits and delay until 2012 a 21% cut to physicians' Medicare payments, CQ Today reports. However, the Senate left for the weeklong Memorial Day recess, which means that on Tuesday the unemployment benefits will expire and the 21% cut to Medicare physician payment rates will take effect.
The House approved the bill in two phases: first, with a 215-204 vote to approve the package of extensions to the tax and jobless benefits and then with a 245-171 vote to delay the physician payment cut (Rubin, CQ Today, 5/28).
Last week, the House Democratic leadership agreed to eliminate about $31 billion from the $145 billion bill to secure enough votes for its passage before members left for the recess. Under the new version of the bill:

Extensions of COBRA subsidies for unemployed workers and a renewal of additional state Medicaid funding outlined in the 2009 federal economic stimulus package would be eliminated (American Health Line, 5/28); and

Physicians' Medicare payment rates would be increased by 2.2% for the remainder of 2010 and by 1% in 2011, before the payment formula would revert to the current formula in 2012 (American Health Line, 5/27).

In an attempt to offset the start of the 21% cut to Medicare physician payment rates, CMS last week sent letters to health care providers informing them that the agency has instructed Medicare contractors to delay processing medical claims for 10 business days, CQ Today reports. CMS contractors on June 14 will begin to process claims for physician services that were performed on June 1, the day the 21% payment cut takes effect

AHLAlerts: EXTENDERS: House Passes Bill With 19-Month 'Doc Fix'; Benefits Expire, Medicare Cuts Take Effect Today