CMS said it has since learned from
those errors. Novitas continues to adapt, too, Mr. Vaughan says. For now, Dr. Haley is tracking Novitas’ website and the LCDs to prepare. But the uncertainty of the transition, coupled with a looming 27-percent cut in Medi- care payments and a new physician fee schedule around the corner, have him playing it safe, too. Dr. Haley said he shored up some cash “just in case” there are payment interruptions. “What I expect [from Novitas] is good channels of communication so we can have an avenue to fix the inevitable problems that will occur and so we can talk to people without having to jump through hoops,” he said. “We [doctors] have to be involved, but they also have to listen to us. If they do that, this will go smoothly.”
When you hear the call of the wild
HHS rule simplifies health plan payments
The U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services in August released an in- terim final rule that calls on health plans to standardize electronic transactions for health care claims payments to physi- cians and hospitals. The regulation governing electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic re- mittance advice (ERA) will automate the posting of payments and allow doctors and hospitals to electronically and more easily receive payments from multiple insurers, thus reducing inefficiencies like manually inputting payment information and depositing paper checks. The rule is projected to save physicians, hospitals, and health plans between $2.7 billion and $9 billion in combined administra- tive costs over the next decade, accord- ing to the Centers for Medicare & Medic- aid Services (CMS) figures. “These new rules will cut red tape, save money, and ensure doctors spend more time seeing patients and less time filling out forms,” CMS said.
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