Physicians receiving Medicare reimbursements will get a reprieve. Before adjourning last week, Congress passed a bill that will reverse a 5.1 percent reduction in reimbursement. (Kaiser Network)
Reimbursement rates will remain at their current levels, and physicians who report quality-of-care data will get a 1.5 percent increase. Back in September, one lawmaker, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Bill Thomas, offered to block the reduction if the American Medical Association (AMA) and other doctors groups agreed to report quality-of-care data.
The AMA rejected the offer. (See Physicians Reject Offer To Block Reimbursement Rate Cuts)
The decision was the right one. Under the new legislation, reporting quality-of-care data is optional, not required. Those who can afford to gather data and submit reports have an incentive to do so.
