NYSCA IN ACTION...Membership Update

Medicare - Some good news for a change:

The Red Flags Rule requires creditors and certain businesses to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs to help identify, detect and respond to patterns, practices or specific activities that could indicate identity theft.  The applicability of the rule to health care providers has been debated over the past several months.  On Tuesday, November 30, 2010, the Senate passed legislation (S3987) that clarifies the definition of a creditor and in effect would exempt health care providers from the Red Flags Rule.  On December 7, 2010, the House of Representatives passed S3987 and sent the bill to President Obama.  The President is expected to sign the bill before the Red Flags Rule goes into effect on January 1, 2011.

Thanks to the efforts of the ACA along with other healthcare provider groups whose efforts were instrumental in removing this additional administrative burden for doctors of chiropractic and other health care providers.

And more good news for a change:

The Senate has passed a $15 billion bill that would block the impending 25% cut in the Medicare payment rate to physicians and instead keeps rates steady through 2011. The cut was scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2011. It is likely that the House would pass the bill – it would by the fifth and longest extension of Medicare physican payment rates enacted this year and puts us back in the “yearly extension cycle” that we have all become familiar with. Unfortunately, the bill does not fix the sustainable growth rate (SGR) problem and doctors would be subject to a cut of more than 25% for treating Medicare patients in 2012 unless Congress figures out a long term solution in the meantime.

Update on NYS Workers Compensation fee schedule:

As you know, 97140 was not included in the chiropractic fee schedule. Carriers will be notified that the 97139 code (unlisted therapeutic procedures) will be used instead with the descriptor being the procedure that was performed.  This code usually requires a report for the service, but that will not be necessary. The 97940 omission will be addressed in the future.

Effective December 1, 2010 the “new” C4 family of forms must be used. The exception is in the physician shortage are in Rochester where the forms go into effect Jan 1, 2011. These are the 4 page new patient C4 and the 2 page C4.2. The forms can be found on the NYS WCB website (click on the link below):

http://www.wcb.state.ny.us/content/main/Forms.jsp

And a reminder: Any condition that is resultant from a work related injury is compensable by workers compensation insurance. Under no circumstances, can the doctor charge the patient for any treatment related to a workers compensation injury (even if a variance is denied).
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The New York State Chiropractic Association is committed to the advancement of the chiropractic profession in New York State. Our officers, directors, delegates and district officers are working diligently on your behalf to protect your right to practice and to provide the highest quality services to the patients we serve.

 

 

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