Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Doctors are already telling CMS how they feel about the face-to-face requirement.
 
The August 30 meeting of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Committee erupted in a "huge discussion over whether this was overkill because they had one outlandish incident with power wheelchairs," according to Constance Row, executive director of the American Academy of Home Care Physicians. Doctors protested that they already have arrangements in place to keep track of homebound patients' needs, involving home care nurses and nurse practitioners.
 
"Certainly from the standpoint of the Academy, there is no way this is justified," adds Row.
 
Part of the problem is that physicians are constantly fielding requests from patients who've seen advertisements for attractive-looking scooters or wheelchairs. "They see something on TV and think it's an entitlement," says Row.