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Valley doctor says new rule could put him out of business

Reported by: Christina Boomer
Email: cboomer@abc15.com
Last Update: 11/01 4:22 pm
Valley doctor says new rule could put him out of business
On Friday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new rules for physician payment policies.

Gary Kauffman is an Interventional Cardiologist with North Phoenix Heart Center.

He said the new rules include new cuts to the amount of money paid to him for certain procedures.

It could run up to 40 percent over four years. 

While the idea is to mitigate the impact by spreading it out over time Kauffman said the reductions will hit hard and possibly force cardiologists out of business.

There are routine cuts but he said this is serious because it is just too deep during a time where his profit margin on each procedure is already thin.

He said too many times this country acts only when there is a crisis.

The crisis here, Kauffman believes, is that people could die because of a lack of cardiologists.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says heart disease is the number one killer in America.

This is why he is urging his patients to step up and speak out.

The new rules kick in on January 1, 2010 but CMS is accepting comments from the public.

CMS:

In commenting, please refer to file code
CMS-1413-FC. Because of staff and resource limitations, we
cannot accept comments by facsimile (FAX) transmission.
You may submit comments in one of four ways (please
choose only one of the ways listed):

1. Electronically. You may submit electronic
comments on this regulation to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions under the "More Search Options"
tab.

2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to
the following address ONLY:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services,
Attention: CMS-1413-FC,
P.O. Box 8013,
Baltimore, MD 21244-8013.
Please allow sufficient time for mailed comments to be
received before the close of the comment period.

3. By express or overnight mail. You may send
written comments to the following address ONLY:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services,
Attention: CMS-1413-FC,
Mail Stop C4-26-05,
7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.

4. By hand or courier. If you prefer, you may deliver
(by hand or courier) your written comments before the close
of the comment period to either of the following addresses:
a. For delivery in Washington, DC--
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services,
Room 445-G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building,
200 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20201

 
Copyright 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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