The payroll tax extension legislation that was passed by Congress and signed by the President on Dec. 23, 2011 (Public Law 112-078) delayed the 27.4% Medicare pay cut due to the SGR formula for two months. It also extended the floor on the work geographic practice cost index (GPCI) and certain other policies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed that all of the other changes that were included in the Medicare physician payment final rule for 2012 will still take effect. Physicians should not expect that payment rates will remain unchanged. Numerous changes are being made in the relative value units, GPCIs, electronic prescribing and quality reporting programs, and multiple procedure payment rules for 2012. All of these changes will take effect as scheduled for dates of service beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Highmark Medicare Services are expected to have the new rates posted to their web sites by Jan. 11th.
Finally, CMS published in the Jan. 4, 2012, Federal Register acorrection notice to the 2012 final rule that modifies the relative values for a number of services. The agency also posted to its web site a revised relative value file reflecting both the corrections and the legislation that stopped the 27.4% cut.
