| Leavitt's Blog |
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 7/22/08 New Medicare Bill - It is more than just a freeze on physician fees. Read more
7/11/08 Rob Sherman, Esquire, passed away on this day, after a long battle with cancer. Read more
7/2/08 The 4th is coming ...Here are some interesting statistics. Read more
7/1/08 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt - Are we related? Read more
6/25/08 Medicare Fee Schedule Update - Yesterday the House passed the bill. Today it is in Conference (resolution) with the Senate folks. We are hoping and praying for a miracle in the next few days, to avert a disaster. The big trouble is as usual, all the Attachments and Amendments (leaches, barnacles, pork, etc) to the basic bill.
6/23/08 Medicare Fees - The House bill HR-6331 has not been acted upon. Read more
6/20/08 Time to Talk - This is the name of a new program from the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, NCCAM). Read more
6/19/08 24 Visit Cap - California Appeal Court Upholds its Workers' Comp law. Read more
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| Healthy Humor |
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Perks of Getting Old
Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
No one expects you to run--anywhere.
People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?
There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
Things you buy now won't wear out.
You can eat supper at 4 pm.
You can live without sex but not your ļ¾ glasses.
You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
You sing along with elevator music.
Your eyes won't get much worse.
Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
"The best way to look young is to hang around old people."
*from Laughter is the Best Medicine, by Allen Unruh, DC
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Accurate information at an affordable price, with no political agenda!
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| Updates and Alerts |
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| Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Update
The CMS website reports:
"The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 was enacted on July 15, 2008. As a result, the mid-year 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rate of -10.6 percent has been replaced with a 0.5 percent update, retroactive to July 1, 2008."
"Physicians, non-physician practitioners and other providers of services paid under the MPFS should begin to receive payment at the 0.5 % update rates in approximately 10 business days, or less. Medicare contractors are currently working to update their payment system with the new rates."
A revised fee scheduled will be posted soon on this ChiroCode home page.
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New Public Forum - We invite you to visit the new ChiroCode Public Forum. There are currently only a few topics there, with more being posted daily. What's on your mind? What questions do you have? As you visit regularly and post your comments, it will grow to become a site where doctors and staff from all around the country can communicate and share their share successes (and frustrations) with all of us.
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ABN Form Update - No More Maintenance Care Billing to Medicare? Yes, it is true. No more billing when you have a properly completed new ABN. Click here to read more.
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National Provider Identifier - The Latest News - On May 23, 2008, providers must begin using their NPI only. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instructs providers to begin testing by submitting a small number of claims as NPI-only (i.e. no legacy number). After submitting, providers must ensure that claims process through the Medicare payment system and remittance advice. If claims process as expected, increase the volume of claims sent with the NPI-only until you send all claims with NPI-only. Begin testing now to feel confident and prepared that Medicare will accept and pay claims in the future; providers must send all claims with NPI-only on and after May 23, 2008.
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Eliminate or Reduce Maintenance Care Billing to Medicare - Effective March 3, 2008, Medicare no longer mandates billing on claim forms for all CMT Maintenance Care services when the patient checks Option #2. The ABN form has been revised, and now has a new title, Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage. Your ChiroCode Institute has created an adapted ABN form for Chiropractic Maintenance Care. We have made it easy and convenient for your immediate use (current subscribers only). Click here to download it from the 2008 ChiroCode DeskBook subscriber page.
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The CMS (Medicare) 2008 fees are on their web site. Most Part B contractors/carriers have also posted them. The data source www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/PFSCSF/list.asp
The new 2008 fees (until June 30th) include the December Congressional increase of .5% to the dollar conversion factor. However, and unfortunately, the new fee schedule also includes mandated adjustments and caps (by congress) to the national Relative Value Units. When both elements (RVU and dollar conversion factor) are combined, the resulting Allowed amount is less money for most CMT codes.
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Site last updated: July 23, 2008
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| Quick Questions |
97140 Refund Request
In Kentucky, a lot of chiropractors are having to pay back a lot of money for billing code 97140-59, for manual therapy or massage therapy. Is a chiropractor allowed to bill this code or what code should be used? |
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