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Hello,
In
this issue
Healthcare
reform legislation moving toward floor votes
The
Senate and House are preparing for critical floor votes on healthcare
reform. Now is the time to again contact your senators and representative
and urge that they pass legislation that:
- Repeals the
sustainable growth rate
- Does not
base any public plan payments on Medicare rates
- Includes
MGMA administrative simplification proposals and
- Does not
transfer crucial healthcare decision-making to a nonelected body
Use the MGMA
Advocacy Center now to send these important messages!
MGMA
continues to meet with leaders in the Senate and the House of
Representatives as healthcare reform legislation is prepared for floor
consideration. Visit the MGMA
Health Care Reform Center and read MGMA Washington Connexion to
keep up with developments.
Use
H1N1 G-codes for Medicare patients
Until
further notice, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services asks providers
administrating the H1N1 vaccine to Medicare beneficiaries to use two
G-codes, despite the recent creation of H1N1-specific Current Procedural
Terminology (CPT) codes. Practices should check with a patient’s private
plan to determine how to bill.
The
codes describing the H1N1 flu vaccine are 90663 and G9142 for Medicare
patients. The codes for administration and counseling of the vaccine are
90470 and G9141 for Medicare patients. Visit the MGMA
Emergency Preparedness Resource Center for further information.
CMS
announces additional free PQRI conference call
The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a national provider
conference call on the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI)
on Oct. 15, from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., EST. MGMA expects CMS will announce
details on the upcoming release of the revised 2007 PQRI incentive payments
and feedback reports, the release of the 2008 PQRI incentive payments and
feedback reports, as well as information on the new “Alternative National
Provider Index (NPI) Feedback Report Distribution Process”.
Registration for
this call is required.
CMS
posts revised October 2009 Average Sales Price file
The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted the
revised October
2009 Average Sales Price pricing files. This file contains the
payment amounts for Part B covered drugs for the fourth quarter of 2009.
CMS states, “Comparing the fourth quarter 2009 payment amounts with the
previous quarter reveals that for the most part, average drug prices in the
market remain stable. On average, prices for the top part B drugs increased
by less than 1%.”
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