Physician Center

Spotlights

• National Provider Call: Stage 1 of the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals: First in a Series — Thursday May 30; 1:30-3 PM ET .  Register now.
  This session will inform individual practitioners on the basics of Stage 1 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. Learn if you are eligible, and if so, what you need to do to earn an incentive. This is the first in a series of 6 National Provider Calls on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Other topics include: Stage 2, clinical quality measures, hardship exceptions, payment adjustments, and a discussion on certification by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

• National Provider Call: National Physician Payment Transparency Program (Open Payments) - What You Need To Know — Registration Now Open - Target Audience:  Physicians & Teaching Hospitals

  Date: Wednesday, May 22; 2:30-4pm ET

  The National Physician Payment Transparency Program (Open Payments) requires manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices to publically report payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals, creating greater transparency around the financial relationships that occur among them.

  Registration Information:  In order to receive call-in information, you must register for the call on the CMS Upcoming National Provider Calls registration website. 

• Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Change Request 7631 (Transmittal 2679)--Revised and Clarified Place of Service (POS) Coding Instructions.

• Revised Fact Sheet for Referral Agents - Where are the Round 2 areas?  What if a beneficiary travels? What do you need to know before prescribing a DMEPOS item or referring the beneficiary to a DMEPOS supplier? Want more information on the national mail-order program for diabetic testing supplies?

  For answers to these questions and more, see the revised “Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program: Referral Agents” Fact Sheet (ICN 900927), which is now available in downloadable format. 

• Information for people who refer Medicare beneficiaries for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program is how some Medicare patients get covered supplies. Be sure to give your Medicare patients the correct information.
  
  
  
• President Obama Signs the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012--New Law Includes Physician Update Fix through December 2013

  On Wednesday, January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.  This new law prevents a scheduled payment cut for physicians and other practitioners who treat Medicare patients from taking effect on January 1, 2013.  The new law provides for a zero percent update for such services through December 31, 2013.  This provision guarantees seniors have continued access to their doctors by fixing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) through the end of 2013.  President Obama remains committed to a permanent solution to eliminating the SGR reductions that result from the existing statutory methodology.  The Administration will continue to work with Congress to achieve this goal. For more information, see January 2 Medicare FFS  Provider e-News.

• CMS-1590-FC: Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule, DME Face to Face Encounters, Elimination of the Requirement for Termination of Non-Random Prepayment Complex Medical Review and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2013. (Published: 11/16/2012)
• Vaccination is the Best Protection Against the Flu [PDF, 414KB]
• Primary Care Incentive Program Payments for 2011 (posted 05/22/2012)
• Blood Clotting Factor Furnishing Fee
• Medicare FFS Physician Feedback Program/Value-Based Payment Modifier
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pleased to announce the posting of updated educational materials on Section 6407 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which established a face-to-face encounter requirement for certification of eligibility for Medicare home health services.  See the "Home Health Face-to-Face" part of the Spotlights section on Home Health Agency (HHA) Center web page.

Medicare FFS e-News Spotlights

• Subscribe now to receive the weekly CMS Medicare FFS Provider e-News for the latest Fee-For-Service program information, event announcements, claims and pricer information, and MLN educational product updates.