As the result of CMA advocacy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week told fee-for-service Medicare Advantage plans that they must “pay the same as Medicare using the same rules, including the Deficit Reduction Act fee increase.” Although the federal budget package reversed the 4.4 percent cut to Medicare physician payments that took effect January 1, many Medicare Advantage plans have not yet adjusted their payments accordingly.

CMA had also contacted Medicare Advantage payors in California and strongly urged them to immediately and retroactively increase their payments in accordance with the 2006 federal budget, signed into law last month.

Contact: Aileen Wetzel, 916/444-5532 or awetzel@cmanet.org.