CMS began processing claims

The "Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010" establishes a 2.2 percent update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payment rates retroactive from June 1 through November 30, 2010. CMS has directed Medicare claims administrative contractors to discontinue processing claims at the negative update rates and to temporarily hold all claims for services rendered June 1, 2010 and later, until the new 2.2 percent update rates are tested and loaded into the processing systems. CMS expects that claims will be processed at the new rates no later than July 1, 2010.

Claims containing June 2010 dates of service which have been paid at the negative update rates will be reprocessed as soon as possible.