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General Surgery Coding Alert

CMS Has Change of Heart on Proposed 'Mass Adjustment'

Published on Sat Sep 13, 2003

Good news for your surgery practice: You won't have to repay overpayments from CMS' delayed implementation of the 2003 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
 
CMS had planned to require carriers to collect overpayments from physicians relating to certain claims for services provided in January and February of this year. The problem arose from the delay in the effective date of the fee schedule, which was March 1, 2003, rather than Jan. 1. Claims with dates of service in January or February were supposed to be paid at 2002 rates. But due to claims-processing limitations, if practices submitted claims after March 1, CMS paid these claims at the higher 2003 rates.
 
CMS earlier announced that it would recover so-called overpayments in a "mass adjustment" in July, but the agency has had an 11th-hour change of heart. "If an overpayment exists, you will not be receiving any 'Demand' letters related to an incorrect payment based on the delay of the 2003 MPFS," CMS tells physicians.

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