Medicare Update for 2015
10 and 90 day global periods will be eliminated for minor surgical procedures in 2017 and for major surgical procedures in 2018. Current 0, 10, and 90 day post op periods are still in effect for 2015! Lots of ODs and staff have been asking me about the potential impact of all global periods going to 0 days. Actually, I think it will be an advantage, as doctors providing post op care will no longer be limited by the meager CMS payments for post op periods, and will be submit claims for whatever visits and procedures are necessary during the post op period, just as they are during any other time they are caring for the patient. Another interesting thing I’ve noticed about this issue…I’ve been getting more questions regarding these changes; though they won’t go into effect for two or three years; than I get on issues that should be of concern to doctors and staff currently and/or should have been of concern to docs and staff for years…Go figure!
Medicare Fee Schedule
The 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule has been published and it does include some changes, resulting in small net increases across the board for services ODs provide most commonly. Medicare’s fees are calculated based on relative values assigned for each service and the Conversion Factor, set by Congress each year. The formula for calculating the fee for each services is Relative Value x Conversion Factor = Fee. The conversion factor will be slightly lower at the beginning of 2015, though some of the relative values have increased, so the net impact will be very small. However, a very large decrease in the conversion factor is slated to go into effect April 1, 2015, unless Congress acts prior to that date. For those of you who have watched this strange scenario play out in previous years, this is no surprise. My prediction? Congress will act in the 11th hour to avoid the big cuts and leave the fee schedule pretty much as it is in 2014.
Act Now to Avoid PQRS Penalties in the Future
AOA has been successful in convincing CMS that small group practices (1-9 doctors) should not be penalized for PQRS issues, but should be eligible for the PQRS bonus payments. 2017 PQRS bonuses will be earned by PQRS participation in 2015, so gear up now to be sure you qualify. You can continue to report PQRS measures on your Medicare claims, although AOA will be providing members with an easier way to accomplish that reporting, referred to as ‘registry reporting’, early in 2015. Watch for more PQRS information from AOA in December. If you decide to begin (or continue) to use the traditional method of reporting PQRS measures on each Medicare claim, you may do that as well. There are lots of PQRS changes for 2015, so please refer to all of the information that has been created by the AOA Third Party Center. It’s all available to AOA members at aoa.org/pqrs. The major change for this year is that you must now report nine measures 50% of the time the related diagnoses appear on a claim. Prior to his year you could have qualified by reporting only three PQRS measures 50% of the time the related diagnoses appear on a claim. My advice at this point is to wait for AOA’s ‘Registry’ for PQRS reporting, which will make the process much more workable.
Medicare’s Impact on Optometry
CMS estimates that ODs provided services and were reimbursed over $1 billion in 2014 and predicts the total payments will rise in again for ODs in 2015.
Pretty amazing! And clear testimony of the value of your membership in the state association and AOA. Without the hard work of organized optometry during the past thirty years and currently, we would not have been prepared to provide medical care to anyone, and we certainly would not have been granted full parity in Medicare, nor would we be providing full scope eye care services and being reimbursed by Medicare and other medical insurers today!