Government
Legislation would raise Calif. Medicare rates
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 22, 2009
U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D, Calif.) and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.) have introduced legislation that could help boost low Medicare payment rates in several of the state's counties, according to a June 11 announcement by the California Medical Assn.
Low rates have forced some doctors to opt out of Medicare or limit the number of beneficiaries they see, CMA said. The problem is magnified in several counties classified as rural under the program's geographic practice cost index, the formula that helps adjust Medicare rates based on location.
Under GPCI, 47 of the state's counties share the same rural classification and payment rates despite having significantly differing levels of costs, CMA said. The legislation would place several of the California localities into updated metropolitan statistical areas. That move would reflect costs more accurately but would not lead to cuts for other counties, the association said.
The 14 counties that would be affected are: El Dorado, Monterey, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Yolo.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/06/22/gvbf0622.htm.
