Good news for physicians planning to buy ahead. Effective Oct. 1, the payment for the pneumococcal vaccine will be the lower of the charge billed to Medicare or $18.62, CMS says. The American Medical Association cheered the move. "As physicians make buying decisions now on vaccines for the coming winter, the AMA and its member physicians appreciate this advance notice from CMS that reimbursement rates will increase," says AMA Trustee Ron Davis, MD. "The CMS information is particularly timely since over 70 percent of the pneumococcal vaccine purchased last year occurred in the four-month period of August through November." To see the CMS notice, go to http://cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/vaccine_100103.pdf. Lesson Learned: Advance notice of the reimbursement increase should help physicians as they make vaccine purchasing decisions for the coming winter.
Physicians will collect higher Part B payments for the pneumococcal vaccine this winter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revealed Aug. 26.