Deadline to Change Medicare Participation Status Is Dec. 31
[Posted 12/08/05]

Physicians who wish to change their Medicare participation status for 2006 must do so by December 31. Physicians can change their Medicare status between participating and nonparticipating only during Medicare’s annual open enrollment period. Once made, Medicare participation decisions are binding for the entire year.

As most of you know, the Medicare physician payments will be cut by 4.4 percent in 2006 if Congress does not act by January 1. It appears likely that Congress will take action to stop the cuts, but we will not know until late December what that action will be.

Recognizing that this may affect physicians’ Medicare participation decisions, CMA encourages physicians to read CMA ON-CALL document #0151, “Medicare Participation (and Nonparticipation) Options” so that they can make informed decisions about their contractual relationships with Medicare.

ON-CALL documents are free to members at CMA's members-only website. Nonmembers can purchase ON-CALL documents for $2 per page in CMA's online bookstore.

CMA’s legal information line, 415/882-5144 or legalinfo@cmanet.org.