|
2010 Fall Conference Dates Announced
The Fall Conference will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9 in Nashville at the Nashville City Club. More information will be announced here and on the email list as it is finalized. Make your plans to attend!
2010 Fall Conference Call For Papers Issued
TOTA has issued the Call for Papers for the 2010 Fall Conference. Click here for the PDF form. If your proposal is accepted for presentation, it is expected that you will be available to present at the Conference. Completed packets must be postmarked no later than August 18th, 2010.
2010 TOTA Workshops
Ethics and Jurisprudence, Chattanooga: September 16 (Details and Registration)
New! Ethics and Jurisprudence, Memphis: November 10 (Details and Registration)
PAMS, Chattanooga: Thermal: August 26-27, Electrical: August 27-29
(Details Only! - SESSION IS FULL)
New! PAMS, Memphis: Thermal: December 2-3, Electrical: December 3-5
(Details and Registration)
No onsite registration is available due to limited seating. Limit for E&J is 40, PAMS is 18.
No credit will be given if you are not preregistered. No exceptions.
AOTA has requested that TOTA members become informed and involved with the latest proposal regarding cuts to CMS therapy services. Letters / comments regarding this proposal need to be sent so that they are received by August 24, 2010. Please go to aota.org to directly follow the links referred to in the message. For your convenience, I have also included the information from some of the links below the message from AOTA. Thanks, Jeanne
AOTA Opposes CMS Proposal for Therapy Cuts
AOTA is working with allies on Capitol Hill, at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and with the Administration to express strong opposition about a proposal to significantly—and, in AOTA’s view, inappropriately—cut payment for Medicare Part B therapy services. The proposed cuts, announced by CMS on June 24, and reprinted in the Federal Register on July 13, call for cutting payment for multiple service units provided on the same day.
The cuts will go into effect on January 1, 2011, unless CMS is convinced to change the policy. This would follow a more than 21.3% payment cut on December 1, 2010, if Congress does not take action before then to fix the underlying problems in how the fees for physicians and other health care professionals are paid, including occupational therapy providers.
“The combined potential cuts would harm Medicare beneficiaries’ access to needed occupational therapy and other services and are based on highly questionable assumptions by CMS,” says AOTA President Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA.
“AOTA will vigorously oppose these reductions.”
AOTA has a detailed report of the specific proposal. Comments are due to CMS by August 24, and members can use this sample letter (below) to assist in developing comments. AOTA will submit comments to CMS on behalf of the Association.
“We are working with a coalition of other professions, industry organizations, and leading providers because this requires a rapid and targeted response,” says AOTA Executive Director Fred Somers.
The “same day” cuts would result in lower payments for all units of therapy or modalities after the first unit. It does not differentiate among the three therapies, and would affect vulnerable clients the most.
“This approach is very dangerous for several reasons, not the least of which is that CMS is trying to muddle the distinctions among occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology services,” says Somers. “It also tries to change the whole system of how values or prices for codes are determined.”
The AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC), in which AOTA participates as a society, makes recommendations to CMS and has approved the therapy code values understanding the nature of therapy practice which involves multiple units of time. “We have worked for many years with AMA to develop solid values for therapy codes,” noted Somers. She acknowledges that the fee schedule process is complicated but notes the vigorous data analysis and review by the AMA RUC to determine fair values.
While more and more people need and use therapy, Medicare spending for outpatient services continues to bring scrutiny by CMS and with it, policies that can stem growth.
“We have to frame the issue clearly for policymakers so they understand the implications for beneficiaries and for the economy,” Somers said. “That’s why AOTA is putting the full force of our federal and reimbursement resources toward fighting this proposal. Our members and their clients deserve nothing less.”
Resources:
Learn more about the fee schedule and the AMA process. (link: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/medicare/the-resource-based-relative-value-scale.shtml)
Submission Instructions
You may submit your comments to CMS in one of two ways: (1) electronically through the government’s website, or (2) via regular mail. They must be received by August 24, 2010.
1. Electronically: Go to www.regulations.gov and type ID number “CMS-2010-0205-0002” into the search box to locate the 2010 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. Once the correct proposed rule appears, click “Submit a Comment” on the right side of the screen. (You may submit your comments by copy and pasting into the text box, or by uploading a Word file.)
2. Regular mail: Send your comments to the following address –
Donald Berwick, M.D.
Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: CMS–1503–P
P.O. Box 8013
Baltimore, MD 21244–8013
|
