Cost Of New Medicare Care Coordination Codes Estimated At $600 Million For 2013

During calendar year 2013, Medicare anticipates that it will pay at least $600 million to physicians for providing transitional care services billed using new care coordination codes. Medicare began accepting claims with the new codes in January 2013. The new codes are for non-face-to-face care management services provided by primary care professionals to patients recently discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility. Medicare estimated its total payments for transitional care services based on the anticipated number of hospital, rehabilitation, and nursing home discharges per year and the historical distribution of physician visits after these discharges. The . . .