2008
Congress Overrides Presidential Veto Of Medicare Legislation — Fee Schedule Rates Stabilized, Medicare Will Resume Claims Processing (07/16/2008) — On July 15, Congress overwhelmingly overrode President Bush's veto of HR 6331, the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act. The bill reverses the 10.6 percent Medicare physician payment cut that went into effect July 1 and will extend the .5 percent update to physician payments through the end of 2008 and provide a 1.1 percent update for 2009. A number of other provisions such as an extension of PQRI and bonuses for e-prescribing are also included. This temporary fix comes after months of Society and other medical association staff lobbying and Society member grassroots communications. Learn more»
2009 OPPS/ASC Proposed Rule Highlights (07/08/2008) — On July 3, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule that will update payment rates paid under both the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for calendar year (CY) 2009. View the highlights »
2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Highlights (07/02/2008) — On June 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule for calendar year (CY) 2009 for public display. The Society has evaluated the impact on EP services. Learn more »
10.6% Pay Cut Effective July 1st – CMS to Hold Claims for 10 Business Days (07/02/2008) — Medicare’s current fee schedule calls for a 10.6% cut in physician reimbursement effective July 1. 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 paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule, beginning July 1. Learn more about the immediate impact on your billing processes »
Washington Report: Congress Fails to Pass Legislation Stopping 10.6% Medicare Physician Payment Cut Going Into Effect July 1 (06/27/2008) — Congress failed to pass legislation which would have halted the 10.6% Medicare Physician payment cut. Therefore, the cut will be going forward as scheduled and will affect services rendered on or after July 1, 2008. Physicians should continue putting pressure on their legislators to rectify this unacceptable situation. Learn more »
CMS to Test Use of Bundled Payments for Both Hospitals and Physician Services (05/16/2008) — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new Acute Care Episode (ACE) demonstration for hospitals, designed to align financial incentives across providers and offer flexibility to hospitals and physicians by bundling all related inpatient services into an “episode of care.” The ACE demonstration is scheduled to begin operation in January 2009. Learn more »
2009 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule Highlights (04/22/2008) — On April 14, 2008, CMS released the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The changes would apply to more than 3,500 hospitals paid under the IPPS effective for discharges on or after October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2008. View the highlights »
MedPAC Review of CMS' Estimate of the Physician Update for 2009 (04/24/2008) — On April 10, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reviewed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) preliminary estimate of the physician update for 2009. In calculating the update, CMS projects the update for 2009 to be -5.4%. To calculate the update, CMS used estimates that are consistent with recent trends. In addition, the MedPAC continued last month's discussion on the feasibility of bundled payments around a hospitalization and supported a revised package of draft recommendations for hospitals and physician services over an episode of care for select conditions. Learn more »
MedPAC Discusses Bundling Services Related to Selected Procedures Performed in Hospital (03/13/2008)— On March 5-6, 2008, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) met in Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to change Medicare payment for an episode of care surrounding a hospitalization as a way to encourage greater “systemness” in health care delivery and improve the accountability for cost and quality of care. Learn more »
Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups (APC) Recommends CMS Reinstate Separate Payment for Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE) (03/05/2008) — On March 5, the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification Groups (APC) met at CMS headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The Panel recommended that CMS reinstate separate payment for intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), CPT code 93662. The rationale that guided this decision is that packaging payment for this low volume service financially rewards hospitals that do not use ICE. Learn more »
2007
Washington Report: Modifier-51 (11/02/2007) — Heart Rhythm Society wrote a letter to members to make them aware of a change in the Modifier-51 that will take effect on January 1, 2008, which will result in a change in reimbursement for EP studies and ablation procedures from Medicare and eventually all private insurance third-party payers. Learn more »
2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) (11/02/2007) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its final rule for the 2008 MPFS. Learn more »
The Heart Rhythm Society comments on hospitals outpatients prospective payment system (OPPS) changes (09/14/2007) — The Heart Rhythm Society wrote a letter to CMS commenting the changes to the OPPS for 2008. Learn more »
The Heart Rhythm Society and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) comment on Final Changes for Procedures Payable in an Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) (09/14/2007) — The Heart Rhythm Society and ACC wrote a letter to CMS addressing our concern regarding the changes for procedure payable in an ASC. Learn more »
The Society Comments on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule for 2008 (08/31/2007) — The Society sent a letter to Herb Kuhm, Action Deputy Administrator of CMS regarding the Proposed MPFS for 2008. View the letter »
CMS releases the final 2008 IPPS ( Medicare Inpatient Payment System) rule for hospital (08/22/2007) — The final rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2008 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was published in the Federal Register today, August 22. Learn more »
Summary of 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (07/09/2007) — On July 2, 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule that would revise the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MFPS) for calendar year 2008. Learn more»
Washington Report: Heart Rhythm Society Successes with NCCI and MUE Challenges (06/13/2007) — The Society prevailed in its objection to the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI), Version 13.3 edits scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2007 by convincing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to defer action on implementation. Learn more »
2006
Congress Passes Legislation Averting 5% Medicare Physician Payment Cut (12/11/2006) — Congress has passed legislation that stops the 5% Medicare physician payment cut, scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2007. Learn more »
CMS Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Fact Sheet is Now Available(11/20/2006) —The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Fact Sheet is now available in downloadable format on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Learning Network (MLN). Learn more »
The Society's Comments on Proposed Changes to Procedures Payable in an Ambulatory Surgical Center for 2007(11/06/2006) — View the letter »
The Society Comments on the Proposed Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Rule for 2007 (10/06/2006) — View the letter »
CMS Issues Final Hospital Inpatient Rule for FY 2007 — Major Heart Rhythm Cuts Averted (08/06/2006) — The final rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2007from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was published in the Federal Register today, August 1. Learn more»
2005
Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS): ICD APCs Reduced, Pacemaker APCs Increased 09/15/2005: HRS Urges CMS to Follow the APC Advisory Panel's Recommendation — The Society writes a letter to Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, Administrator of CMS to express our concerns with the proposed reductions for device related procedures, specifically for ICD. Learn more »
APC Advisory Panel's Recommendation to CMS (08/26/2005) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a meeting of the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups. The discussion included two specific APC groups, 0107 Implantation of Cardioverter-Defibrillator and 0108 Insertion/Replacement/Repair of Cardioverter Defibrillator Leads and Insertion of Cardioverter-Defibrillator, which have a direct impact on heart rhythm procedures performed in the outpatient setting. Learn more »
American Medical Association (AMA) letter to Congress voices opposition to extension of 18-month moratorium on physician referrals to specialty hospitals (06/10/2005) — On April 22nd, 2005 the American Medical Association (AMA) sent letters to the Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD, expressing support for physician-owned specialty hospitals. Learn more »
