Complementary rules may extend electronic health record (EHR) safe harbor for an additional three years to encourage adoption. The proposed rules, one from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) and another from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) extend the 2006 rules relaxing federal Stark and anti-kickback laws from December 2013 to December 2016.
Two Congressional subcommittees are circulating an expanded draft of their plan to repeal Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR).
The Hill reports the permanent "doc fix" plan would use SGR repeal to make dramatic changes to Medicare. After several years, for example, Medicare payments to physicians would be tied to performance and efficiency measures. Healthcare providers are weighing in on the plan now.
Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced there will be no delay to implementation for ICD-10-CM and PCS, which is scheduled October 1, 2014.
Providers with Medicare patients face a 2 percent cut in reimbursement beginning April 1 when government-driven rate cuts commence.
The cuts, a part of the sequestration budget-cutting process that went into effect March 1, result from failure of the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government to reach a deal preventing the move. The cuts come only months after a dramatic 27 percent Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut in Medicare physician payment was narrowly averted by Congressional action.