Comments from the Chairman

If you haven't noticed, TSO is growing.   There are several new offices either opened last year or opening this year.  I think this is not only because TSO is a wonderful organization with many benefits, but also due to TSO doctors and Network employees excited about TSO.  I don't need to sell you on the benefits of the TSO system, but many of you are singing the praises of TSO out in the real world. It seems to be working.  With more TSO offices, this positions us to be to be more attractive to patients and insurance companies. TSO doctors have an opportunity to make a great impression to the first year optometry students on January 20th.   If you have never been to a first year "meet and greet", it's a lot of fun.  This year we will meet at Cadillac Bar at 6:30 pm.   The Cadillac Bar and Grill is located at Shepherd at I-10.  Hope to see you there. Grass roots optometry is the single most important factor in keeping Texas optometry strong and viable.  The TOA has a very important meeting coming up on the 17th of January at the Magnolia Hotel in Houston.   A close personal relationship with your legislators is the best way to ensure your practice lifestyle is protected.  Grass roots is also the direction to become aware of enhanced practice modes of emerging technology and procedures that will benefit your practice and most important, the care of your patients. We all need to band together to protect our patients' visual welfare.

Sincerely, Brian J. Blount, OD

 

The new features include:

All optometrists, please read this

If you are an optometrist and make a living taking care of patients then this letter pertains to you. If you like making a living and want to continue making a living and taking care of patients then this is even more important to you.

No matter whether you believe it or not, your ability to continue making a living and taking care of patients is being threatened. If that bothers you even just a little bit, then you need to come to the Optometry Legal and Legislative meeting being held downtown Houston this coming

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an increase on the deductible for Part B Medicare beneficiaries for 2010. The Part B deductible for 2010 is $155 for all Part B beneficiaries.  Medicare beneficiaries must meet this $155 deductible before Medicare reimburses for services. Remind your staff to collect or verify that the beneficiary has met their deductible.

This is clarification to information that was previously posted on the TrailBlazer web site on December 22, 2009.  The President has signed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010, which provides for a zero percent update to the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for a two month period, January 1, 2010, through February 28, 2010.
 
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with Congress, health care providers, and the beneficiary community to avoid disruption in the delivery of health care services and payment of claims for physicians, non-physician practitioners, and other providers of services paid under the Medicare physician fee schedule, beginning January 1, 2010.  In this regard, CMS has instructed its contractors to hold claims for services paid under the MPFS for up to the first 10 business days of January (January 1 through January 15) for 2010 dates of service.  This should have minimum impact on the provider cash flow because, by law, clean electronic claims are not paid any sooner than 14 calendar days (29 days for paper claims) after the date of receipt.  Meanwhile, all claims for services delivered on or before December 31, 2009, will be processed and paid under normal procedures.
 
The holding of claims allows Medicare contractors time to receive the new, updated payment files and perform necessary testing before paying claims at the new rates.  CMS has instructed contractors to begin processing claims at the new rates no later than January 19, 2010.  Please note that most contractors are closed on January 18, 2010 (Martin Luther King Day holiday).  Therefore, even absent a new update, most claims likely would not have been paid any sooner than January 19, 2010, given the aforementioned statutory 14-day payment floor.
 
CMS has extended the 2010 Annual Participation Enrollment Program end date from January 31, 2010, to March 17, 2010; therefore, the enrollment period now runs from November 13, 2009, through March 17, 2010.
 
For additional information, refer to the notice at:   http://www.trailblazerhealth.com/Tools/Notices.aspx?DomainID=1&ID=13458.
 
New Medicare Part B fax number

New Fax Number
Providers should use the following new fax number to submit the required additional documentation for Medicare Part B Electronic Media Claims (EMC):
New Fax Number
469-372-7790
 
The following fax numbers previously used to fax additional documentation will be discontinued by the end of January 2010. 
Deleted Fax Numbers
469-372-0520
469-372-0521
 
The fax/mail EMC documentation feature enables Medicare Part B providers to submit all their claims electronically and take advantage of the 14-day payment floor of EMC.  Claims that include these services can be filed electronically and the required documentation faxed or mailed. 
 
Providers should complete aMedicare Part B Fax/Mail EMC Documentation Cover Sheet for each electronic claim for which they are submitting additional documentation.  This will ensure fast and accurate processing of this information.  Please note that this form will be updated with the new fax number information by the end of January.