New Medicare fee schedule available

Trailblazer, the company contracted by the state to administer the Medicare program, has posted the updated Medicare fee schedules on its Web site. In early July after a tense standoff, Congress reversed the scheduled 10.6-percent cut in Medicare physician payment by extending the current payment levels through 2008 and providing a 1.1-percent increase in 2009.

"We are extremely pleased that Congress has overridden the veto to protect senior citizens and to continue allowing primary care physicians to provide Medicare services," said AAFP President Jim King, M.D., to AAFP News Now.

While physician groups hailed the legislation as a victory, it amounts to little more than an 18-month reprieve. If Congress doesn’t act to fix the flawed Medicare payment system, physicians will face a 21-percent cut in 2010.

To access the updated Medicare fee schedules, visit Trailblazer online.