government
CMS moves Medicare participation deadline
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 9, 2012
The agency overseeing the Medicare program has extended its annual participation enrollment period through Feb. 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.
CMS moved the deadline for physicians to elect to continue Medicare participation or withdraw from the program because the agency anticipates congressional action in the coming weeks to address the 27.4% sustainable growth rate cut to physician pay this year. Congress approved only a two-month delay of the SGR cut on Dec. 23, 2011, a delay that will expire March 1.
If Congress appears that it will allow the steep reduction in Medicare rates to take effect, that could influence physician decisions to participate in the program during the 2012 year.
Medicare contractors have been instructed to process participation status changes that are postmarked by Feb. 14. The effective date for all changes will be Jan. 1 and remain in effect for the year.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/01/09/gvbf0109.htm.
