U.S. Congress Extends 0% Update of the Medicare Physician Fee Through March 31
March 8, 2010
The Temporary Extension Act of 2010 passed by the U.S. House and Senate on March 3 extends through March 31, 2010, the zero percent update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule in effect for claims dated Jan. 1, 2010, through Feb. 28, 2010.
Based on this law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will release for processing and payment claims with service dates of March 1, 2010, or later. In addition, the law extended the therapy cap exceptions process through the end of March.
“If therapy cap exception claims have already been submitted and denied, the provider should contact their contractor for an adjustment,” stated CMS in a press release. “The small number of claims that had been held because they were submitted with the exceptions modifier will be released for processing.”
The agency also stated that providers who charged patients for services that exceeded the caps should refund the beneficiary’s cost, minus the deductible and coinsurance. For more information on this extension, contact the CMS Office of Legislation.
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