Two notes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid. MedPage Today reports that starting next year, physicians will need to write a "short narrative" describing the patient's clinical condition. The proposed rule will take place in 2010. CMS was reacting to a recommendation made by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).
CMS has also announced the addtion of a new physician code to categorize Hospice and Palliative Care physicians. This new physician specialty code is 17 and will take effect October 1, 2009.
