New Medicare fee schedule raises rates, limits reforms

December 31, 2008 New Medicare fee schedule raises rates, limits reforms By James Brice Medicare's outpatient imaging program has issued a New Year's greeting in the form of rules in the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule that raise professional reimbursement rates, expand the discount for contiguous body part imaging to more applications, and introduce anti-markup rules that are far less harsh than those originally proposed. A 1.1% across-the-board professional rate increase kicks in on Jan. 1. The rule reflects provisions in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), passed by Congress in July. That law extended a previously approved 0.5% hike through the end of 2008 and established a 1.1% increase for 2009.

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