Exceptions process extended; fee schedule frozen
Rehab Regs, December 15, 2006
Rehab providers around the country were able to breathe a sigh of relief last week when Congress passed HR 6111, "The Tax Relief and Health Care Improvement Act of 2006," which included provisions that extended the therapy caps exception process and froze the Medicare fee schedule at 2006 rates.
The legislation extends the therapy caps exceptions process through 2007 and didn't require CMS to make any changes to the process, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
It also eliminated the 5.1% reduction in fee schedule payments, freezing the schedule at its 2006 rates. However, the reductions in the relative work values for some therapy services due to the five-year review process-which could be close to 5% in some regions-will still go into affect, according to Dave Mason, vice president of government affairs for the APTA.
On another positive note for rehab providers, the legislation authorized a 1.5% bonus for providers that report on quality measures beginning July 1, 2007. The methods for reporting and the standards have not been announced yet.
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