Physician

Concerns grow over unsettled issues of therapy caps, Medicare physician pay

February 18, 2010

Tensions are rising among healthcare providers over two unresolved issues: the implementation of Medicare Part B therapy caps and an impending 21% pay cut to Medicare physicians.

Senate takes out therapy caps, physician pay provisions from jobs bill

February 16, 2010

Just hours after unveiling a jobs bill that would extend the therapy caps exceptions process and delay a pay cut for Medicare physicians, Senate leaders last week scrapped it in favor of a bill that contains neither of those provisions.

New draft legislation would extend therapy caps exceptions process

February 12, 2010

Senate Finance Committee leaders Thursday issued a draft of a jobs-creation bill. The legislation would extend the Medicare Part B therapy caps exceptions process and delay through Sept. 30 an impending 21% cut in payments for Medicare physicians.

Snowstorm in capital sidelines discussions on therapy caps, Medicare physician pay cut

February 11, 2010

A snowstorm that pummeled the East Coast this week has delayed the Senate's consideration of a jobs bill that would extend the Medicare Part B therapy caps exceptions process and prevent a pay cut for Medicare physicians, according to reports from Washington.

Medicare physician pay fix not bound by new 'pay-as-you-go' rules

February 08, 2010

Newly approved "pay-as-you-go" budget rules contain an important exception: They allow Congress to delay a pay cut for Medicare physicians for a number of years without necessarily taking money away from other areas of spending.

Behavioral problems widespread between nurses, physicians, report finds

November 06, 2009

Nearly 98% of nurses and physicians report witnessing behavior problems between colleagues, according to the results of a recent survey.

Changes to Medicare physician pay key to healthcare reform, analysis suggests

July 13, 2009

Substantial changes to the Medicare benefit will be needed to affect any real reform or cost savings, and to ensure the program's future solvency, a news analysis suggests. That includes linking doctors' pay to improving patients' health.

CBO: market-basket freeze for skilled nursing could add up to billions in savings

July 10, 2009

The federal government can expect to save roughly $26 billion in Medicare costs over 10 years in part by freezing the market-basket update for skilled nursing facilities in fiscal year 2010, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.