Primary Care Coding Alert

Heads up: New payments for hospital transitions could further pad your bottom line.CMS published its proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2013 in the July 30 Federal Register, offering a glimpse into how the agency would calculate Medicare pay rates for the coming year. The news is good for family physicians and similar specialties, including a potential pay increase when your physician cares for patients after hospitalization. Hospital Transition Pay Could Be in Your FuturePart of the information focuses on physicians who provide care following a patient's hospital discharge. "The proposal calls for CMS to make a separate payment to a patient's community physician or practitioner to coordinate the patient's care in the 30 days following a hospital stay," CMS says. "The proposed rule also asks for public comment on how Medicare can better recognize the range of services community physicians and practitioners provide as part of treating patients, either [...]