Optometrists: Projections for 2004 don't bode well for practices' reimbursements.
CMS released a list of the high-volume services facing big changes as part of its draft regulation for the 2004 Physician Fee Schedule. The draft was published in the Aug. 15 Federal Register, and providers have until Oct. 7 to comment. The biggest news in the rule is that CMS still expects to slash physician payments by 4.2 percent across the board next year.
The draft 2004 Physician Fee Schedule regulation is at http://cms.hhs.gov/physicians/.