On December 10, 2013, CMS published its final rule updating Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) rates and polices for calendar year (CY) 2014, which includes a 20.1% across-the-board cut in PFS rates in 2014 (down from 24.4% projected under the proposed rule). The cuts are largely due to the statutory Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) update formula, although lawmakers are seeking agreement on legislation to block the automatic cuts. The rule also includes a number of significant Part B policy changes, including the following highlights:

  • The final 2014 conversion factor (CF) is $27.2006, compared to the 2013 CF of $34.0230, mainly as a result of the statutory SGR formula. Congress is expected to override this formula, either on a temporary or permanent basis, but final action is still uncertain (see legislative update below). CMS estimates that if Congress freezes the PFS update for 2014, it would actually result in a CF of $35.6446, an increase compared to 2013, due to the application of a budget neutrality adjustment. Reimbursement changes for individual procedures vary based on numerous other policies.
  • CMS did not finalize a controversial proposal under its potentially misvalued code initiative to reduce PFS rates for more than 200 codes if Medicare physician office payment exceeds the payment under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) or ambulatory surgical center (ASC) prospective payment system (PPS). CMS expects to develop a revised proposal for using OPPS and ASC rates in establishing physician practice expense relative value units, which CMS will propose through future notice and comment rulemaking. CMS is continuing its efforts to identify and adjust payment for potentially misvalued codes, however, including by adopting on an interim basis work relative value units for approximately 200 additional codes. These interim values are subject for public comment until January 27, 2014.
  • CMS will make payment for non-face-to-face complex chronic care management services for Medicare beneficiaries who have multiple (two or more) significant chronic conditions, beginning in 2015. CMS will establish practice standards for such chronic care management services through future rulemaking.
  • CMS is modifying the definition of eligible telehealth originating sites to include health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) located in rural census tracts of urban areas as determined by the Office of Rural Health Policy, which CMS expects to result in the inclusion of additional HPSAs as areas for telehealth originating sites. CMS is adding transitional care management services to the list of eligible Medicare telehealth services.
  • CMS will continue implementation of the physician value-based payment modifier, which was mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to reward physicians for providing higher quality and more efficient care. The value modifier is being phased in from CY 2015 to CY 2017. CY 2014 is the performance period for the CY 2016 value modifier. CMS is finalizing plans to apply the value modifier to groups of 10 or more eligible physicians in 2016 (compared to groups of 100 or more in 2015), and increase the amount of payment at risk from 1% to 2% in 2016. CMS also is refining the methodologies used to calculate the value modifier to better identify both high and low performers for upward and downward payment adjustments.
  • CMS has adopted its proposal to amend the “incident to” regulations to require that services and supplies be furnished in accordance with applicable state law, and that the individual performing “incident to” services meet any applicable requirements to provide the services, including state licensure requirements. The policy is intended to ensure that auxiliary personnel providing services to Medicare beneficiaries “incident to” the services of other practitioners do so in accordance with applicable state requirements, and that Medicare payments can be recovered when such services are not furnished in compliance with the state law.
  • CMS has adopted without change its proposed process to systematically reexamine payment amounts under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule to determine if changes in technology for the delivery of that service (e.g., changes to the tools, machines, supplies, labor, instruments, skills, techniques, and devices by which laboratory tests are produced and used) warrant an adjustment to the payment amount. Beginning with the CY 2015 PFS proposed rule, CMS will identify the test code, discuss how it has been impacted by technological changes, and propose an associated payment adjustment. CMS will solicit comments, and any payment adjustment would be adopted in the final rule, beginning with the CY 2015 final rule.
  • CMS is establishing a centralized review process under which a single entity will make Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) coverage decisions, although the policy will not be implemented until 2015. The rule also establishes minimum standards for IDE studies and trials for which Medicare coverage of devices or routine items and services is provided (but CMS dropped earlier references to pivotal study and superiority study design criteria).
  • CMS will apply the outpatient therapy cap limitations and related policies to outpatient therapy services furnished in a critical access hospital beginning on January 1, 2014, in conformance with the American Taxpayers Relief Act (ATRA).
  • The final rule also addresses, among many other things: updates to the geographic practice cost indices; revisions to the calculation of the Medicare Economic Index; revisions to the Physician Quality Reporting System and the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive program; revisions to regulations regarding liability for overpayments to conform to ATRA provisions with regard to the timing of the triggering event for the ‘‘without fault’’ and ‘‘against equity and good conscience’’ presumptions; and updates to the ambulance fee schedule regulations to conform with statutory requirements.

In light of the late release of the final Medicare PFS rule, CMS is extending the annual Medicare participation enrollment period for 2014 through January 31, 2014 (instead of the window ending on December 31, 2013). During this period, eligible physicians, practitioners, and suppliers may change their participation status, but the effective date for any participation status changes remains January 1, 2014.