Here are five things to know:
1. On Jan. 1, 2016, Medicare began paying for home medical equipment in regional and rural areas based on a 50/50 blend of the current fee schedule and adjusted rates from its competitive bidding program. On July 1, it will base pricing 100 percent on adjusted rates.
2. CMS counted the claims assignment rates for durable medical equipment, prosthetics/orthotics and supplies items for the first four months of 2015. These items were paid at the unadjusted fee schedule rates. CMS then compared the rate of assignment claims for the same items for the first four months of 2016. Those items were paid at the new partially adjusted rates.
3. Overall, there was no change in the rate of assignment for the first four months of 2016 (99.88 percent) compared to the first four months in 2015 (99.87 percent).
4. There was also no change in the assignment rate in rural areas in 2016 (99.9 percent) compared to 2015 (99.9 percent).
5. The assignment rate in non-contiguous areas changed slightly in 2016 (99.81 percent) compared to 2015 (99.90 percent).
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