Medicare Fee Cuts Could Devastate Rehabilitation Services, Physical Therapists Warn Congress

ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 8, 2008 — Pending cuts to the Medicare physician fee schedule could severely hamper the ability of physical therapists to serve the rehabilitation needs of seniors and people with disabilities, driving up overall costs while decreasing quality of care, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and its Private Practice Section.

In testimony May 8 before a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, Tom DiAngelis, PT, vice president of APTA's Private Practice Section, commented that a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician payments could have an especially devastating impact on PTs in private practice, who are faced with not only the rising costs of running a small business, but also decreases in revenue due to a variety of government payment and policy challenges. The hearing on "Medicare Physician Fee Cuts: Can Small Practices Survive?" provided an opportunity for the committee to examine the potential impact of fee cuts on the practices of physicians and other allied health professionals. Unless Congress intervenes, the cuts will go into effect July 1, 2008, and could also have significant ramifications on the services offered to Medicare patients, according to APTA.

To read the full press release, click here.

DEADLINE: May 12, 2008

PPS Audiocast: Creating Practice Growth Through Equity Sharing and Succession Planning

Are you considering a succession plan for your practice for the time in 5, 10, or 20 years or more when you will want to exit? Are you a PT interested in gaining ownership into a practice? Learn how to plan your transition without leaving your office! Register for the audiocast today!

Date & Time: Monday, May 19, 2008
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern

Presenter: James E. Glinn, Sr., PT
Coauthor of Transitions: How to Position Your Physical Therapy Practice and Create Your Succession Plan

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, May 12, 2008
For a registration form, click here.

CMS Assistance Available for Claims Rejected Due to NPI Problems

Effective March 1, Physical therapists and other Medicare providers are required to include National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) in their claims' primary fields. Claims that contain only legacy numbers in the billing, pay-to, or rendering fields will be rejected or returned.

Physical therapists and other providers who have had 837P or CMS-1500 claims rejected because of National Provider Identifier (NPI) noncompliance have step-by-step instructions available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Web site. Providers are encouraged to validate the information provided in their claims. If that does not work, CMS requests providers call the customer service representative at their Medicare contractor.

ABN Forms Being Replaced

Effective March 3, 2008, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) replaced two Advanced Beneficiary Notices (ABNs) to offer new options regarding treatments that might not be covered by Medicare.

CMS is replacing the General Use and Lab ABNs with the ABN of Noncoverage. The new notice includes a mandatory field for cost estimates of items and services, is allowed to be used for voluntary notifications, and provides an option for beneficiaries to pay out-of-pocket, rather than submit a Medicare claim. CMS is allowing a 6-month grace period from the date of implementation, March 1, 2008 to September 1, 2008, for use of the revised form and instructions.

The revised form and instructions are posted on Medicare's Beneficiary Notice Initiative (BNI) Web page.

CALL FOR 2008 CANDIDATES: Deadline May 1

The Private Practice Section Nominating Committee is inviting nominations for the 2008 election. We need your assistance to identify individuals who will support the mission of the Section and direct and lead the Section as it moves to achieve its Strategic Plan. Members may nominate themselves for office.

The membership will elect the offices of President, Vice President, (1) Director and a Nominating Committee member. Click here to download a nomination form.

CALL FOR 2008 AWARDS: Deadline June 6

One of the truly unique benefits of membership in the Private Practice Section is the opportunity to learn from those who have preceded us. We have all benefited from the lessons learned and then shared by our PPS colleagues. The Section’s annual awards are our opportunity to acknowledge those who have so freely shared their knowledge and experiences. These awards enable the Section to bring the benefits of membership to a larger audience by highlighting innovations and experiences of some of our most notable members. Please take a few minutes to review the list of awards and criteria then nominate someone who has made a difference for you.

Committee & Volunteer Opportunities – Applications for current openings due May 1

PPS has many opportunities for you to share your expertise and network. Current openings include the following:

• CSM Program Committee - Identifies and supports organization and development of programming for the PPS Section at the Combined Sections Meeting.

• Member Services Committee - Review and make recommendations to enhance member services.

• Member Resources Contact - Serve as a resource by offering to answer a few questions from your PPS colleagues based on your experience in the areas of business and practice management.

For an application and more details click here.

NEW PUBLICATION: Transitions: How to Position Your Physical Therapy Practice and Create Your Succession Plan by James E. Glinn, Sr, PT, and Jan Glinn

Have you considered a succession plan for your practice for the time in 5, 10, or 20 years or more when you will want to exit? Are you a PT who is interested in gaining ownership into a practice and looking for opportunities? It is the goal of this manual to assist private physical therapy practice owners in creating succession plans whoch are beneficial to both buyers and sellers of practice equity, and which keep ownership of the business, science, and art of our profession in the hands of physical therapists. Learn from the authors' experiences of owning and exiting 3 practices and their work as consultants. Click here to download an order form.

TIP OF THE WEEK
Electronic Management Software

Considering purchasing a new elctronic management system for your practice? The April 2007 and 2008 issues of Impact magazine feature this very topic. Click here to view these issues and gain more insight!