Part B Pay: CMS Slashes 2012 Conversion Factor by Over 27 Percent Vs. Current Rates

Plus: Pay for podiatry may increase a little, while other specialties will drop even more.

Get ready for another year of nail-biting to find out whether your Medicare payments will be dramatically reduced. The calendar year 2012 Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor is $24.6712, notes the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, printed in the Federal Register that will be published on Nov. 28.

This amounts to a dismal 27.4 percent cut compared to the current rate of $33.9764. CMS acknowledges that this massive cut may not be set in stone, stating, "While Congress has provided temporary relief from these [...]

- Published on 2011-11-11