Reminder: July 1 Medicare Part B Rates

This is a reminder regarding the mandated 0.5 percent increase in Medicare Part B rates effective July 1, 2015. 

LeadingAge NY provided members with a detailed analysis of the “Doc Fix” measure as signed into law this past April (H.R. 2 The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015).  Among other things, this measure repealed the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula based methodology for determining annual updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The MPFS determines Medicare Part B rates paid to physicians and other practioners, along with the rates paid to nursing homes and home care providers for ancillary services. 

Without this measure in place, providers would have incurred a 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare Part B rates effective April 1.  Instead, Part B rates for the second quarter of 2015 remained unchanged and increased effective by an average 0.5 percent effective July 1.  LeadingAge NY will be providing members with a detailed analysis of the revised rates for the most common ancillary services.

Contact: Patrick Cucinelli, pcucinelli@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8827