2014 fee schedule: Medicare finalizes smaller rate cut, allows telehealth for TCM

Why This Topic Matters

The final rule affects Medicare reimbursement, reporting obligations, and coverage policies that can influence physician practice operations and billing workflows for the 2014 payment year and beyond.

Article Sections

1. Medicare physician fee schedule update

   Overview of the final Medicare physician fee schedule and the overall payment update context for the 2014 year.

2. Additional highlights

   Summary of several policy areas addressed in the final rule, including quality reporting, telehealth, compliance, coverage, and future program changes.

3. Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS)

   Changes affecting the 2014 PQRS incentive reporting structure and related reporting expectations.

4. Telehealth and TCM

   Coverage update related to telehealth use for transitional care management services.

5. Incident-to language tightened

   Revisions to incident-to service language and state-law related requirements for personnel furnishing services or supplies.

6. Overpayments

   Extension of the timeframe for Medicare overpayment recovery actions and related policy context.

7. Investigational device exemption (IDE) rules

   Updates to Medicare policy for clinical trials involving investigational devices and centralized review procedures.

8. Screening test coverage expansions

   Coverage changes affecting selected preventive screening services and ordering requirements.

9. No codes yet for complex chronic care management services

   CMS’s postponement of new coding for complex chronic care management and related implementation timing.