Passage of the fiscal cliff bill brought an extension of the doc fix and relief from the 26.5% cut in payments faced by physicians who care for Medicare patients. However, more subtly addressed in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 is an extension of the statute of limitations on recovering non-fraudulent Medicare payments.
The look-back period is now extended from three years from time of payment to five years from time of payment. The doc fix bill was a recommendation from the Office of the Inspector General ( OIG ), stating that there is an anticipated additional $500 million in non-fraudulent overpayments that may be recouped by extending the time period.
The extension could create additional financial and administrative burdens to practices that face a request for overpayment. If you feel your practice has questions about overpayments, PYA can assist you. Contact the experts listed below at (800) 270-9629.
