Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

PHYSICIAN NOTES:

CMS Spells Out How You Should Calculate Medicare Payment Amounts

Plus: Unless you have a formal waiver in place, it's time to stop using the DR condition code and CR modifier on your H1N1 claims.

Conversion factor calculations can be difficult enough during a normal year -- but in 2010, with the conversion factor changing back and forth, it can be downright frustrating. A new Medicare document aims to quell those frustrations with a new educational tool.

CMS is offering a revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet, which includes information on how to determine your Medicare payments, how to translate the Fee Schedule payment rates, what the GPCI means, and how the conversion factor affects your income.

Plus, the document discusses the two month zero percent update to the 2010 Fee Schedule that's effective through Feb. 28.

You can download the Fact Sheet at www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MedcrePhysFeeSchedfctsht.pdf.