Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012
Special Feature
Toolkit helps physicians understand Medicare participation options
Are you reassessing your Medicare participation status? Make sure you understand your options before making your decision.
Physicians have three options with regard to participating in the Medicare program:
- Participating (often referred to as "PAR")
- Non-participating (referred to as "non-PAR")
- Private contracting
The differences between these three options can be nuanced, and determining which option is best for your practice requires careful thought. Physicians only have until Dec. 31 to make any changes in their PAR or non-PAR status for 2013, while decisions to do private contracting can be made at the beginning of each quarter.
The AMA's newly updated Medicare Participation Kit provides resources to help you understand your options, select your participation status and follow-up with your patients accordingly.
In addition to an informational guide offering detailed explanations of the three Medicare participation options, the kit includes a revenue calculator to help you estimate how much your total revenue from seeing Medicare patients would change if you switch your status from Medicare PAR to non-PAR.
Sample documents can help you communicate any status changes to your Medicare patients, including template letters. For physicians who elect the private contracting option, the toolkit also provides a sample contract and an opt-out affidavit. Physicians who continue participating in the program but cannot accept new Medicare patients can download a phone script to help seniors understand their decision.
Access the toolkit today, and remember to make 2013 Medicare participation status changes before Dec. 31.
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