Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Question: What is the latest on the potential 2008 Medicare fee schedule changes?

Missouri Subscriber

Answer: Billers and physicians who were hoping that Congress would step in and make a last-minute 2008 decision to freeze the proposed 10.1 percent Medicare cut finally got good news on Dec. 19. Congress passed the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, replacing the scheduled 10.1 percent Medicare pay cut for 2008 with a 0.5 percent increase. President Bush signed the bill into law on Dec. 29.

The catch: The law expires on June 30, 2008, so Medicare allowances for the remainder of 2008 are still up in the air.

Despite the congressional reprieve, however, you shouldn't take your attention off of the legislative wrangling that will be required to fix payments after June 30, experts say.

Bottom line: Celebrate the six-month fix, but don't lose site of the bigger picture. Start preparing now to collect less from Medicare in July so you won't end up scrambling if a double-digit cut comes your way.