Congress reaches deal to fix physician payments

Congress Reaches Deal to Revise Physician Payment System: What It Means for Your Practice

From Part B News (www.partbnews.com):

The House and Senate have reached a deal to freeze your 2007 payments at 2006 levels, averting a scheduled 5% pay cut, Part B News has learned. You would also be able to receive up to a 1.5% pay hike beginning in July for reporting quality measures based on the Physician Voluntary Reporting Program.

Other provisions of this deal would extend a rural work geographic price cost index of 1.0 for 2007, as well as extend the therapy caps by one year.

The bad news is, it appears Congress will pay part of the $10.5 billion price tag by expansion of the Recovery Audit Contractors to all 50 states by 2010. Currently, the RACs only operate in California, New York and Florida.


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