Endocrine Insider
September 3, 2009

(See Full Issue) 

On August 26, The Endocrine Society submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in opposition to proposed reimbursement cuts in the 2010 physician fee schedule. The schedule includes a proposal to cut Medicare physician payments by 21.5 percent and to eliminate all inpatient and outpatient/office consultation codes.

The proposed 21.5 percent across-the-board reduction comes even as CMS suggests ways to improve the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula used to calculate physician reimbursement rates.  In the proposed rule, CMS would retroactively eliminate physician-administered drugs from Medicare Part B, thereby easing the payment restrictions imposed by the SGR in future years. However, this change would not impact the extent of the cuts to physician reimbursement in 2010. As in years past, the Society will continue to push for the elimination of the 21.5 percent cut to payments and for the more permanent solution of SGR reform.

The agency’s proposal to eliminate inpatient and outpatient/office consultation codes was a surprise to specialty societies and physicians alike. CMS stated in its proposed rule that it anticipates endocrinologists to fare better by approximately 3 percent over past years due to an increase in payment to new and established office visit codes and initial hospital stay codes. However, many Society members have expressed their disagreement with this information, stating that they expect to see a 15 to 20 percent cut to their Medicare reimbursement as a result of the proposal. The Society strongly opposes the elimination of these codes.

The Society also commented on patient access to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans and on the Medicare Physician Resource Use Measurement and Reporting Program.

To view a copy of the Society’s letter to CMS, please click here.