In a landmark development, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has reached a $2.8 billion settlement to resolve antitrust claims brought by health care providers, including chiropractors. The lawsuit accused BCBS of dividing the nation into exclusive regions and limiting competition, which resulted in lower reimbursements for providers. Although BCBS denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy litigation – and you can get a piece of the pie.
This Is Your Only Chance.....
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of developing a new Medicare fee schedule. This fee schedule will be based on the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale developed by Dr. William Hsiao of Harvard University. (Be watching future issues of "DC" for a clearer understanding of this revised scale.) The same scale will be used for all health care physicians according to their work relative value units.
The resource costs of each health care physician category is to be defined by the total of three components or relative value units. These components are: overhead costs, malpractice costs, and work costs (work relative value units). The work relative value unit is defined as your income, less your overhead and malpractice expenses. Every health care physician specialty is being asked to provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with information regarding these three components in order to be included in the proposed new rule.
Charles R. Booth, the director of the Office of Payment Policy for the Bureau of Policy Development, HHS has asked the chiropractic profession to provide them with the information necessary to allow chiropractic to be included in this process. Dynamic Chiropractic has been chosen to distribute the necessary survey and collect the information.
THIS WILL AFFECT HOW YOU ARE PAID BY MEDICARE!!!