President Obama Signs the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012–New Law Includes Physician Update Fix through December 2012-

On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. This new law prevents the scheduled 27.4% payment cut for physicians and other practitioners who treat Medicare patients from taking effect on March 1, 2012. The new law extends the current zero percent update for such services through December 31, 2012. President Obama remains committed to a permanent solution to eliminating the Sustainable Growth Rate reductions. The Act also provides for the Extension of the Moratorium On Qualified Pathologists and Independent Laboratory Billing for the Technical Component of Physician Pathology Services Furnished to Hospital Patients through June 30, 2012. Therefore, those qualified pathologists and independent laboratories that are eligible may continue to submit claims to Medicare for the technical component of physician pathology services furnished to patients of a hospital, regardless of the beneficiary’s hospitalization status (inpatient or outpatient) on the date that the service was furnished. This policy continues to be effective for claims with dates of service on or after March 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012. Source: CMS Message: 201202-70 / TDL-12240 / TDL-12245 / TDL-12246