Fee Schedule News

immigration1 year ago•0 min saved

"USCIS Implements Increased Immigration Fees Despite Legal Challenges"

The USCIS is updating its Policy Manual to align with the new Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements Final Rule, effective from April 1, 2024. The revisions cover new form fees, fee waivers and exemptions, limits on beneficiaries for certain employment-based forms, and a new form supplement for orphan intercountry adoption cases. The postmark date of a filing will determine the form version and fees, while the receipt date will be used for regulatory or statutory filing deadlines.

via USCIS|

#fee-schedule #immigration #immigration-benefit-requests

healthcare-policy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Medicare Fee Schedule Sparks Outrage and Calls for Reform with Proposed Pay Cuts"

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the initial 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, proposing a pay cut for diagnostic and interventional radiology. The proposed fee schedule also suggests potentially rescinding the long-delayed Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) Program. The preliminary changes include reductions in relative value units for various specialties, with diagnostic radiology facing a 3% cut and interventional specialists facing a 4% cut. The proposed 2024 conversion factor, used to convert RVUs into payment, represents a 3.36% reduction from the 2023 amount. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) expressed concerns about the cut, stating that it would further increase the gap between practice expenses and reimbursement rates. CMS is also considering doing away with the AUC Program due to challenges in implementation and potential risks. The agency is accepting comments on the proposed rule until September 11.

via Radiology Business|

#appropriate-use-criteria-program #fee-schedule #healthcare-policy