***IMPORTANT MEDICARE NOTICE***

The Centers for Medicare and Medical Assistance (CMS) have issued a notice that directs carriers and fiscal intermediaries to hold ambulance claims for the first ten business days of 2012 pending congressional action to extend Medicare ambulance relief.

As you may know, congress is currently considering legislation to extend certain expiring provisions of the social security act that have included bonus payments for urban, rural and super-rural ambulance transports past the December 31st expiration date for ground and air ambulance services. These provisions expire six days from today. Pending action by congress, the 2012 payment calculation will not include an increase fee schedule amounts that reflect the expiring provisions in the even that Congress is able to reach a compromise on extending this relief package.

According Jerry Miller, CEO and President for LifeQuest Services "The bottom line is, you should be prepared for a potential delay in Medicare payments effective January 1st, 2012 for at least ten days. Normally the process time for Medicare claims is 14 days for electronic claims, however it is unclear as to whether this 10 mandate could be extended or push payments out an additional 10 days beyond the normal 14 day processing time frame."

You can follow progress on this issue at either here with WEMSA, the CMS website, the American Ambulance Association site or the Page, Wolfberg and Wirth site.