ASTROgram: CMS begins processing physician claims with negative 21 percent update

On June 18, CMS instructed its contractors to lift the hold on processing claims for services provided on or after June 1 and to begin processing claims with the negative 21 percent update. Held claims will be released and processed on a flow basis, first-in/first-out. Congress continues to debate the elimination of the negative update that took effect June 1, 2010.  On June 18, the Senate also passed an amended version of H.R. 3962, now called the "Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010," by unanimous consent. This legislation provides a 2.2 percent Medicare physician payment update for six months, from June 1 through November 30, 2010, in lieu of the scheduled 21 percent cut. Once H.R. 3962 is passed by the House and signed by President Obama, CMS will retroactively adjust any June claims that have been paid. ASTRO will keep you updated as the situation develops.