Medicare

Congress Averts Shutdown, Still Cuts Medicare Payment for 2025 - 12/21/2024

The American Relief Act of 2025, signed into law by President Biden Saturday morning, will extend funding for the government until mid-March. Congress was unable to include several of the Texas Medical Association’s federal goals as the new piece of legislation will not avert the 2.8% cut in Medicare physician payments that will start on Jan. 1, 2025.

Medicare Premiums, Deductibles to Increase in 2025 - 11/12/2024

Medicare patients will be paying more for their coverage in 2025, which will impact how much co-pay practices collect. The rise in patient costs comes at a time when Medicare physician payments still decline and payments to hospitals and other Medicare entities increase.

Medicare Solidifies Pay Cut, Mixed Bag of Changes for Physicians in 2025 - 11/08/2024

In addition to finalizing a nearly 3% pay reduction for physicians, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also set the trajectory for practices over the next year with changes related to telemedicine, coding and payment, and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, among others.

Feds’ Response to Cyberattack Aids Physicians, But Further Measures Needed - 11/07/2024

Eligible physician practices and others impacted by the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare now may apply for accelerated and advanced payments for certain Medicare and Medicaid claims.

Medicare Social Media Graphics - 11/06/2024

Once again, physicians’ Medicare payments are set to be cut, this time a 2.8% reduction in 2025. Please download the graphics and post them on your social media channels to raise awareness about the problem.

CMS Delays Dramatic Office-Visit Coding Changes Until 2021 - 11/04/2024

Following advocacy by the Texas Medical Association and much of organized medicine, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has delayed its proposal to dramatically overhaul evaluation and management coding for physician services, a proposal that TMA warned would make treating Medicare patients “even more challenging.”

Fix Medicare Now, TMA Tells Feds - 10/22/2024

Unless the federal government increases physicians’ Medicare payments and overhauls Medicare’s hassle-laden Quality Payment Program (QPP), access to health care for millions of American seniors and people with disabilities “is at risk,” the Texas Medical Association told Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma.

Code Carefully for Bilateral Procedures - 10/02/2024

Coding for bilateral procedures can be confusing. See how payers differ in how they apply CPT modifier 50 to their coding and payment policies.

CMS Reopens 2023 MIPS Hardship Exception for Cyberattack - 09/26/2024

Thanks to medicine’s advocacy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has reopened a hardship exception for the 2023 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance period to account for February’s Change Healthcare cyberattack.

CMS Ups Seasonal Flu Vaccine Payment - 09/09/2024

On Aug. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased payments to physicians for influenza vaccines and updated which codes physicians should use when billing for the service during the 2024-25 flu season.

Beryl-Affected Practices Automatically Eligible for MIPS Hardship Exemption - 08/19/2024

Due to the impact of Hurricane Beryl on Texas physician practices, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has automatically applied a hardship exemption within the 2024 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System performance period to eligible clinicians in “designated” areas.

Medicine Urges 4 Steps to Reform Medicare Pay - 08/13/2024

In the face of an increasingly unsustainable Medicare physician payment system, hundreds of state and national medical associations collectively exhorted congressional leaders to adopt a four-point reform plan they say can “no longer be delayed without severe repercussions for patient access and quality of care.”

Innovation for Every Age: Texas Primary Care Physicians Improve Access for Older Patients - 05/06/2024

Texas' population is aging, highlighting the importance of access to high-quality, coordinated primary care that bridges complex systems, various clinicians, and concurrent chronic conditions.

Medicare May Seek Payment Recoupment for 2023 Claims - 04/09/2024

A new report by the Government Accountability Office shows physicians may face possible recoupments – or additional payment – for claims filed in 2023 as a result of over and underpayments by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs.

MedPAC Backs Medicare Physician Payment Increase – Again - 03/26/2024

Echoing advocacy by the Texas Medical Association and others in organized medicine, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recently reupped its recommendation that Congress increase Medicare physician payment by tying such payment to inflation, among other factors.

Cyberattack Prompts CMS to Extend 2023 MIPS Flexibilities - 03/19/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced two flexibilities related to Medicare’s Merit-Based Incentive Payment System 2023 performance year, citing the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare and heeding advocacy by organized medicine.

Medicare Sunsets Beleaguered Appropriate Use Criteria Program - 03/14/2024

After longstanding opposition from the Texas Medical Association and others, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finally nixed the appropriate use criteria program for advanced diagnostic services as part of the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule.

Medicare to Debut “Stay of Enrollment” Status for Physicians, Others - 03/13/2024

Medicare soon will introduce a “stay of enrollment” status for physicians and others enrolled in the federal program, despite pushback from the Texas Medical Association.

Physicians May Face Lower Payment as CMS Resumes Lab Data Collection - 03/11/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will continue to collect data from physician-owned laboratories to inform private payer rates despite pushback from the Texas Medical Association.

Middle Ground: Medicare Offers Options Amid Shift to Value-Based Care - 03/05/2024

Physicians are divided on the issue of value-based care, but, with Medicare forging ahead, the Texas Medical Association is focused on monitoring the development of alternative payment models, educating members about their options, and advocating for physician protections.

Medicine’s MIPS Win: 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Stabilizes Program - 03/05/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yielded to the Texas Medical Association’s concerns about its proposal and the impact of constant changes to MIPS on its participants.

Senate Moves Toward Medicare Pay Fix - 02/28/2024

After hundreds of physician leaders from across the country, including Texas, gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-February, U.S. senators appear to be moving toward a Medicare pay fix alongside House efforts.

Medicare Cuts Forcing Doctors Out - 02/27/2024

A 3.37% cut in Medicare physician pay is scheduled to hit on Jan. 1, 2024 [Editor's note: The cut took effect]. That’s on top of the 2% cut that took effect earlier this year and other compounding cuts over the years. In total, inflation-adjusted physician Medicare pay has fallen 26% since 2001. Medicare physician pay cuts are forcing some physicians out of the program.

Medicare Payment Crisis Forces Rural Practice Closure - 01/04/2024

If Congress does not act by the end of the year to stop the impending Medicare physician payment cut, many practices will be forced to reduce available health care services, cut office hours, or even forgo treating Medicare patients altogether, organized medicine has warned over and over in its months-long advocacy campaign.

CMS Introduces Electronic Documentation Submission Tool - 01/02/2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a free service to help physician practices of varying sizes and documentation workloads upload and submit medical documents, including prior authorization requests, electronically.