2011 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Rule Contains Proposed Pay Cuts for Outpatient Therapy Services
As reported by APTA.org, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed physician fee schedule rule that would implement key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and update payment rates under the physician fee schedule for services furnished on or after January 1, 2011 (CY 2011).
If this rule becomes effective, physicians, physical therapists and other health care professionals would receive a 6.1% cut to their Medicare payments starting January 1, 2011 in addition to the 21.3% reduction that has been delayed several times already this year due to the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. This reduction was replaced with a 2.2% update until November 30, 2010, when the President signed the “Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010″ on Friday, June 25.
In addition to the projected reductions due to the SGR, CMS also proposes a multiple procedure payment reduction policy (MPPR) that would result in significant reductions in payment for outpatient therapy services. Specifically, CMS proposes to make full payment for the therapy service or unit with the highest practice expense value and payment of 50 percent of the practice expense component for the second and subsequent procedures or units of the service furnished during the same day for the same patient. The work and malpractice components of the therapy service payment would not be reduced. The proposed multiple procedure payment reduction policy would apply to both the services paid under the physician fee schedule (PFS) that are furnished in the office setting and those services paid at the PFS rates that are furnished by outpatient hospitals, home health agencies (Part B), skilled nursing facilities (Part B), comprehensive rehabilitation facilities, and other entities that are paid by Medicare for outpatient therapy services. It is estimated that if the multiple procedure payment reduction policy were implemented, payment for outpatient therapy services would be reduced by approximately 13% in addition to the projected SGR payment cut for CY 2011.
The APTA believes that CMS’s proposal to apply the multiple procedure payment reduction to outpatient therapy services is based on flawed presumptions and has no justification. The APTA states that it will aggressively work to stop implementation of the proposed MPPR policy and the SGR payment reductions.
APTA Submits Comments on EHR Testing and Certification Process
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recently submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in response to a proposed rule that would establish a temporary program for the testing and certification of electronic health records (EHRs).
The proposed rule, released March 10, is the third and final step in the rulemaking process to establish the incentive payments program for the meaningful use of certified EHRs. While physical therapists are not currently eligible for incentive payments under the program, APTA’s comments were designed to ensure that the testing and certification processes established under the temporary program meet the needs of health care providers including physical therapists.
Comments on the permanent testing and certification programs are due May 10.
Source: APTA.org
H1N1 (Swine Flu) Resource for Physical Therapists
Are you a physical therapist looking for information on the swine flu?
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has launched a web page to educate PTs and PTAs on identifying swine flu symptoms.
Move Forward Video from APTA
Watch the video published by the American Physical Therapy Association entitled “Move Forward: Physical Therapy Brings Motion To Life (APTA).”
The video supports the APTA’s new brand launch to depict the physical therapist as the provider of choice for helping patients restore motion and improve mobility in their lives.
Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) launched a new branding campaign last week at the Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new campaign, “Move Forward: Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life,” positions physical therapists as specialists who can help improve mobility without the expense and pain of surgery or the side effects of prescriptions.
The APTA has launched a new website section for is members called Brand Beat. It has also unveiled a consumer Web site at www.moveforwardpt.com that serves as a source for information about how physical therapy can bring motion to life. The consumer website includes information on
- Why Physical Therapy?
- Finding a physical therapist
- Improving mobility and motion
- Avoiding surgery
- Eliminating paint without medication
- Consumer tips
Let us know what you think of the new brand campaign by posting a comment.
Photos from APTA CSM in Vegas
Robert Stafford and John Rea are reporting great attendee interest in our rehabilitation software at Booth #654 at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A big thanks to all of our current and future customers who stopped in to see a therapy documentation software demonstration.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to automating the workflow of your outpatient rehabilitation facility.
A Career in Physical Therapy
The American Physical Therapy Association has published a YouTube video that covers “A Career in Physical Therapy.”
It’s a very effective look into the daily routines of several therapists who are passionate about what they do and who they do it for. They discuss who they are, where they work, what type of patients they work with, and why they entered the profession.
We encourage you to take a look.
Legislation to Repeal Therapy Caps Introduced by House and Senate
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), physical therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries would no longer be limited by arbitrary financial caps under legislation introduced this month in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act (S 46/HR 43) introduced calls for the repeal of the Medicare therapy caps that limit coveraege of outpatient rehabilitation services to $1840 for physical therapy and speech language pathology combined and $1840 for occupational therapy services.
The therapy caps were originally adopted by Congress in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The caps reduce beneficiaries’ access to critical services by limiting their choice of providers by requiring them to pay 100% of the cost of care once they exceed the cap or ration their care to avoid exhausting their benefits. Since 1997, Congress has acted to prevent implementation of the caps by passing several moratoria and authorizing an exceptions process for rehabilitation services above the financial limitation based on diagnosis and clinician evaluation and judgment. An 18-month extension of the exceptions process was included in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (HR 6331), which passed July 15, 2008. The exceptions process is set to expire December 31, 2009.
The repeal of the therapy caps protects Medicare beneficiaries, ensuring they receive the rehabilitation services they need as they recover from serious injury or suffer from debilitating diseases.
Chart Links at APTA CSM Booth #654
Chart Links will exhibit at the American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting on February 9-12, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada at booth #654.
The Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) focuses on programming designed by all 18 of the APTA’s specialty sections. The event brings together more than 7,000 physical therapy professionals from around the nation for 5 days of programming, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall filled with products and services.
Stop by to see John Rea or Robert Stafford at booth #654nd learn about our therapy documentation software. Our rehab software streamlines the daily clinical and administrative tasks in an outpatient setting:
- Therapy Scheduling
- Patient Arrival Notification
- Referral Management
- Authorizations
- Therapy Documentation (plan of care, progress notes, evaluations)
- Patient Education
- Marketing
- Regulatory Compliance
- Etc.
Learn more about our rehab software in general.
For a complete listing of tradeshows at which Chart Links will exhibit please view our tradeshow schedule.
John Barnes, APTA CEO, Discusses PT Profession with EHM
Executive Healthcare Management magazine recently spoke with John Barnes, CEO of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), about the effects of advances in technology and changes in health care needs on the physical therapy profession.
In the article, Mr. Barnes responds to questions like
- What have been some of the biggest developments in physical therapy practice over the last few years?
- What effect will the aging population have on the need for physical therapy?
- What challenges exist for entering the PT profession?
Chart Links was fortunate enough to advertise in this edition of Executive Healthcare Management magazine and encourages you to read the full article.