CMS rule increases Medicaid payment to primary care docs

CMS today announced that certain primary care doctors will receive increased Medicaid payments in 2013 and 2014 (Source: "Primary Care Physicians Get Medicaid Pay Boost; OB/GYNs, ER Physicians Excluded," Beckers Hospital Review, Nov. 2, 2012).

The ACA final rule (pdf, 117 pages) states that all primary care physicians in family medicine, general internal medicine or pediatric medicine will be paid Medicare rates for Medicaid services for calendar years 2013 and 2014.

However, CMS denied the increased primary care payments to obstetricians, gynecologists and emergency medicine physicians. "Although we recognize the role that other specialty physicians play in providing primary care services, the authority does not exist to extend the payment to other categories of physicians, including OB/GYNs," CMS officials said in the final rule.