A 21% cut in Medicare reimbursement will go into effect March 1, after the Senate failed to pass a bill to stop the cuts.
But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a guidance just hours after the Senate adjourned for the weekend that buys doctors some more time.
“We believe Congress is working to avoid the negative update that will take effect March 1, 2010,” the guidance reads. “Consequently, CMS has instructed its contractors to hold claims containing services paid under the [Medicare Physician Fee Schedule] for the first 10 business days of March.”
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I fear many docs may just opt to turn away all medicaire patients as a 21% cut means losing money on every visit. A physician has to at least cover expenses or that can’t help anyone.