Practice Management Alert

No Medicare does not equal no contracts. If you decided that 2010 is the year your practice is going to scrap Medicare, follow this plan to ensure you don't miss any essential components when you're solidifying your no-Medicare plan. Note: Can't decide if opting out is right for you? Check out last month's article about the pros and cons of opting out of your Medicare contract. 1. Notify Medicare That You're Opting Out First, file an affidavit with your Medicare contractors informing them that your physician is opting out. If you are already a participating provider, CMS states, "To opt out of Medicare, a participating physician must first terminate his or her Medicare Part B participation agreement," says Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CENTC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CHCC, president of CRN Healthcare Solutions, a coding and reimbursement consulting firm in Tinton Falls, N.J., and senior coder and auditor for The [...]