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CMA responds to CMS 2015 Medicare fee schedule proposals

The California Medical Association (CMA) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) commenting on the proposed rules that would impact many aspects of physician payment and federal regulatory programs for 2015. The 39-page letter strongly opposes the agency's plan to accelerate the implementation of the value-based modifier (VBM) payment methodology. CMS has said it will expand the VBM to all physicians in 2017 and increase the potential penalty from 2 percent to 4 percent. CMA also argued that because the agency is ignoring the law that ...

PQRS administrative claims-based reporting deadline is October 15

Physicians who do not successfully participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) this year will be subject to PQRS payment penalties starting in 2015.   PQRS is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality reporting program that uses a combination of incentive payments and payment adjustments to promote reporting of quality information by eligible professionals.   Physicians who do not report on at least one individual measure in 2013 or elect to participate in the administrative claims reporting option will receive a 1.5 percent payment penalty in 2015. The penalty ...

CMA publishes Medicare quality reporting guide

The Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a reporting program that uses a combination of incentive payments and payment reductions to promote reporting of quality information by eligible professionals. Up until now, this program has been voluntary and physicians have received bonuses for participating. That's about to change. Failure to participate now means physicians could face significant penalties in 2015 and beyond. Find out more in CMA's new guide, "Getting Started with the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System." The guide is avaialble to members only. Contact: CMA's reimbursement help line, (888) ...