House adopts package for Medicare regulatory relief

Physicians and House leaders look to the Senate for passage before year's end.

By Markian Hawryluk, AMNews staff. Dec. 24/31, 2001.

Washington -- Physicians are hoping for an early Christmas present of Medicare regulatory relief, but they may have to make reform a new year's resolution.

Despite a unanimous vote by the House on its Medicare reform package in early December, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Senate will be able to pass a companion bill by the end of 2001.

The House measure includes a litany of reforms intended to streamline regulations, allow greater flexibility in contracting and protect physicians in the appeals process. The bill would allow physicians to repay in installments any overpayments uncovered during a payment audit. Currently, carriers demand payment in full within 30 days, regardless of the impact on a physician's practice.

Physician groups hailed the House vote and called for quick passage of the Senate bill. "This bill addresses nearly every issue that we asked the House to address," said AMA President Richard F. Corlin, MD.

The measure also garnered the support of consumer advocates, supporting doctors' claims that Medicare complexity was leading to access problems for Medicare patients.

"These are important incremental reforms that will allow seniors and other beneficiaries to get more out of the program," said Martha McSteen, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

The legislation's specifics touch everything from the publication of Medicare regulations to evaluation and management guidelines.

The bill would consolidate publication of new regulations to once a month, prohibit retroactive application of substantive changes and establish a 30-day post-announcement window before changes go into effect. Any new evaluation and management guidelines would have to be pilot-tested before implementation. [...]