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WTF...Anyone experienced able to interpret this?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">January 7, 2010 Volume 26, Number 1
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR><TR><TD>In This Issue:
Congress Lets TC Grandfather Expire, If Only Temporarily
Healthcare Reform Update: Democrats Struggle to Agree
HHS Proposes Criteria for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Congress Lets TC Grandfather Expire, If Only Temporarily
Despite the Colleges efforts to avoid disruption of payment for pathology services by successfully including an extension of the Medicare Technical Component grandfather in both the House and Senate Healthcare Reform bills, the TC grandfather provision has expired, leaving many pathologists wondering how to proceed given the likelihood the grandfather will be extended retroactively when healthcare legislation is signed into law later this year.
Anticipating Congress would not pass healthcare reform before the provisions December 31, 2009 expiration date, CAP worked with members of Congress to request the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extend it administratively. This request was not granted. In a transmittal released late last week, CMS claimed as of January 1, it lost the statutory authority to make direct payments to independent laboratories for the TC of anatomical pathology services with dates of service on or after January 1, 2010.
Claims for service provided before January 1, 2010 are unaffected by the expiring provisions.
Earlier this week, a CMS official described two options open to affected pathologists: continue to submit claims (which may be reprocessed at a later date if/when new legislation extends the expiring provisions); or avoid reprocessing by holding onto claims for a period of time to see whether the legislation is enacted.
The CAP cannot recommend which action, if any, individual practices should take. Statline will continue to monitor this issue and report as more information becomes available.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Next Issue: January 21, 2010
© 2010 College of American Pathologists
© 2010 College of American Pathologists
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR><TR><TD>In This Issue:
Congress Lets TC Grandfather Expire, If Only Temporarily
Healthcare Reform Update: Democrats Struggle to Agree
HHS Proposes Criteria for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Congress Lets TC Grandfather Expire, If Only Temporarily
Despite the Colleges efforts to avoid disruption of payment for pathology services by successfully including an extension of the Medicare Technical Component grandfather in both the House and Senate Healthcare Reform bills, the TC grandfather provision has expired, leaving many pathologists wondering how to proceed given the likelihood the grandfather will be extended retroactively when healthcare legislation is signed into law later this year.
Anticipating Congress would not pass healthcare reform before the provisions December 31, 2009 expiration date, CAP worked with members of Congress to request the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extend it administratively. This request was not granted. In a transmittal released late last week, CMS claimed as of January 1, it lost the statutory authority to make direct payments to independent laboratories for the TC of anatomical pathology services with dates of service on or after January 1, 2010.
Claims for service provided before January 1, 2010 are unaffected by the expiring provisions.
Earlier this week, a CMS official described two options open to affected pathologists: continue to submit claims (which may be reprocessed at a later date if/when new legislation extends the expiring provisions); or avoid reprocessing by holding onto claims for a period of time to see whether the legislation is enacted.
The CAP cannot recommend which action, if any, individual practices should take. Statline will continue to monitor this issue and report as more information becomes available.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
