On Halloween last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Rule for the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). The rule outlines changes to policies and payment rates for services rendered on or after January 1, 2015. The rule also impacts how physician anesthesiologists and pain medicine physicians participate in various programs, including the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).
As members begin this new year, it is critical that you and your practice understand PQRS, its applicability to your future payments and how to best avoid the payment adjustment. As many members are aware, PQRS is a reporting program that, beginning in 2015, will use payment adjustments, or penalties, to induce quality reporting by eligible professionals (EPs). Under PQRS, covered professional services are those paid under or based on the PFS. Physician anesthesiologists whose professional services are paid under the PFS are considered EPs and...
