Author: Sam Fish | Posted: 2. July 2010 08:57

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed rules on June 25 to update Medicare Part B reimbursement policies in January 2011 under the federal health care reform law and earlier legislation. Major changes in Medicare Part B include elimination of deductibles and coinsurance for most preventive services, coverage of annual wellness visits, new incentive payments to deliver specified primary care services, new incentive payments to improve access to surgical care in health professional shortage areas, increased payments for nurse-midwife services, and adjustments in Medicare's competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment. The CMS issuance also offers guidance on proper coding and billing under the Medicare fee schedules for physician services, ambulance services, clinical laboratories, end-stage renal disease facilities, and Part B drugs.   The proposed rules would reduce the time limit on Medicare claims submissions to one year after the date of service, and seek to align reporting requirements under the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) with upcoming requirements on Medicare incentive payments for meaningful use of electronic health records.   The proposed rules will appear in the Federal Register on July 13, with a request for comments by August 24, scheduled publication of a final rule by November 1, and an effective date of January 1, 2011.