Healthcare Law Briefs
1.
Don't Overlook Worker's
Comp. Business
Practices sometimes neglect to
analyze their payor mix and are surprised to learn that Pennsylvania
Workers' Compensation programs provide reasonable reimbursement. You can
compare the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Fee Schedule, available
at the following link, to some of the other payor categories in your
practice.
http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=138&Q=158000
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2. Texas: New Medical
Errors Reports Law For Providers
Beginning on September 1, a new Texas law will require hospitals,
psychiatric hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers to report certain
medical errors to the state Department of Health. Under H.B. 1614,
signed June 20 by Gov. Rick Perry (R), the specified health care
facilities also will be required to implement risk-reduction strategies
and share their best practices an safety measure that are effective in
improving patient safety.
BNA Health Care Daily Report, July 28
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3. Medicare Physician
Payment Reductions Proposed in CMS Rule
Medicare payments to about 900,000 physicians and suppliers would be
reduced an average 4.2 percent in 2004, and much more for some
specialties, according to a proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services scheduled to be published in the Aug. 15 "Federal
Register." The cut could be reversed by Congress, however, as both the
Senate and House versions of Medicare prescription drug legislation
(H.R. 1) seek to provide an increase in doctors' payments for 2004 and
2005. The reduction has been predicted by CMS for some time. In March,
the agency said a reduction was likely and attributed it to high volume
and intensity of physicians' services in 2002. The agency said negative
physician updates under the physician fee schedule were likely to
continue through 2007.
Aug. 11 -- BNA's Health Care Daily Report
<Top >For more information about the
topics presented in this newsletter please contact one of the
Healthcare
Attorneys:
>Read
the June/July 2003 issue of our HEALTHCARE
NEWSLETTER.
 Tucker Arensberg,
P.C.
1500 One PPG
Place Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412/566-1212
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