Primary Care Practitioners Can Rejoice

On March 23, the President signed the Patientpediatrics.
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) intoIn order to qualify for the 10 percent bonus, the law
law. However, many practices haven't noticedstipulates that the primary care practitioners will have
significant impacts from the legislation as yet. But in theto bill a minimum of 60 percent of their allowed
coming year, you could see huge boosts from it ascharges as primary care services. These are defined
CMS has proposed incorporating many of the law'sby Evaluation/Management codes 99201-99215, nursing
features into 2011's Physician Fee Schedule.facility or rest home care codes 99304-99340, or
CMS released its proposed Physician Fee Schedulehome services codes 99341-99350.
for the coming year. This document, which will beThe rule we're proposing today is just one part of the
published in the July 13 Federal Register, offers variousadminstration's endeavor to boost the health status of
advantages to medical practices, including bonuses forMedicare beneficiaries by increasing access to
primary care physicians.preventive services and promoting early detection and
As per the proposal, primary care practitioners willprompt treatment of medical conditions.
benefit from a 10 percent bonus starting January 1, asFor more information pertaining to Physician Fee
prescribed in the PPACA.Schedule, sign up for a one-stop medical coding
Practitioners who qualify will be physicians, nursewebsite. Onboard such a site, you will have access to
practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, or physiciana Fee Schedule tool that will help you get the latest as
assistants with the primary specialty designation offar as Physician Fee Schedule is concerned. Such a
family medicine, internal medicine, geriatric medicine, orsite doesn't cost you much too.