Re: Speaking of learned helplessness...

[Guest guest]

Sooooooooooo Sorry to hear this. I hope I don't find out I'm in the same boat! Payment is expected in 2 weeks as attested 4 weeks ago. The 1% appeal is going to be tough and I wish you fast response. I'm fighting penalties added to "paybacks" I've submitted on time and so far have not seen reversal of the penalty. I was told that it always happens this way because it takes 6 weeks for them to catch up the payments! Like others I've been unable to pay December's bills and can't seem to catch up with last years taxes either! It's slower and got sick for 2 weeks didn't help either and the computer died and so did the replacement! Now have a real server but it's not cheap! All of

December I didn't get 1/2 of the co-pays because patients are so strapped. Medicare doesn't have a clue what their audits are doing to the little doc. So far they've held 40 payments! And I've already ranted that the 7 they did pay they down coded!

To: Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 1:59 PMSubject: Speaking of learned helplessness...

So, CMS has kicked me twice this week. First, I realized that the meaningful use money that I was thinking was going to save me this year can't possibly come until the very end of the year, regardless of how soon I attest. I just learned that I need $24,000 in CURRENT year Medicare payments before they will pay me the maximum year 1 amount of $18,000, and it takes me all year to generate that much in Medicare payments. And, I may not even generate that much in payments this year, because I was borderline before and many of my MC patients are switching over to Medicare Advantage plans, which don't count. Great!Second, I just got my first Medicare payment with a 1% penalty for not having been a "successful" e-prescriber in 2011, even though I was doing it full-time and putting the proper codes on all my claims by October. The requirement was to be doing it by the end of June, which I could not do because hardware/software incompatibilities

prevented me from starting to use the necessary, updated version of my EHR by the required date. I could have used a stand-along eRX product, but decided I couldn't do the extra work. I was resigned to the penalty until I heard news that I could file a hardship exemption that seemed to be designed for docs in exactly my situation. I filed for the exemption by the required date. About a month later, I got an e-mail from them saying that their information revealed that I would not be subject to the penalty, so they were not going to proceed with my processing my exemption. I knew in the pit of my stomach that smelled like danger, but was too swamped with other garbage to spend a lot of time questioning it. I decided to trust that they knew what they were doing... MISTAKE! Just got my first payment with 1% penalty, which will last all year. We are definitely going to appeal, but, as you all know, DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS GARBAGE! I know, I should drop

them, but I would lose all of my over- 65 patients, and they are my favorites!

[Guest guest]

Thank goodness you attested before the end of the year, rather than being lulled

into waiting by their assurances that we will still be eligible for the same

amount of MU money if we wait until 2012. I am so sorry to hear about your

audits! Isn't it interesting that they can be very prompt about assessing you

penalties for not paying them back, when they are very slow about crediting you

with those payments! Is National Gov't Services your MC carrier? I'll probably

be hearing from them soon, myself, since my billing doesn't fit the " average " FP

profile, either!---Sharlene

>

> Sooooooooooo Sorry to hear this.   I hope I don't find out I'm in the same

boat!  Payment is expected in 2 weeks as attested 4 weeks ago.  The 1% appeal

is going to be tough and I wish you fast response.  I'm fighting penalties

added to " paybacks " I've submitted on time and so far have not seen reversal of

the penalty.  I was told that it always happens this way because it takes 6

weeks for them to catch up the payments! Like others I've been unable to pay

December's bills and can't seem to catch up with last years taxes either!  It's

slower and got sick for 2 weeks didn't help either and the computer died and so

did the replacement! Now have a real server but it's not cheap! All of December

I didn't get 1/2 of the co-pays because patients are so strapped.  Medicare

doesn't have a clue what their audits are doing to the little doc.  So far

they've held 40 payments!  And I've already ranted that the 7 they did pay they

down coded!

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To:

> Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 1:59 PM

> Subject: Speaking of learned helplessness...

>

>

>  

> So, CMS has kicked me twice this week. First, I realized that the meaningful

use money that I was thinking was going to save me this year can't possibly come

until the very end of the year, regardless of how soon I attest. I just learned

that I need $24,000 in CURRENT year Medicare payments before they will pay me

the maximum year 1 amount of $18,000, and it takes me all year to generate that

much in Medicare payments. And, I may not even generate that much in payments

this year, because I was borderline before and many of my MC patients are

switching over to Medicare Advantage plans, which don't count. Great!

>

> Second, I just got my first Medicare payment with a 1% penalty for not having

been a " successful " e-prescriber in 2011, even though I was doing it full-time

and putting the proper codes on all my claims by October. The requirement was to

be doing it by the end of June, which I could not do because hardware/software

incompatibilities prevented me from starting to use the necessary, updated

version of my EHR by the required date. I could have used a stand-along eRX

product, but decided I couldn't do the extra work. I was resigned to the penalty

until I heard news that I could file a hardship exemption that seemed to be

designed for docs in exactly my situation. I filed for the exemption by the

required date. About a month later, I got an e-mail from them saying that their

information revealed that I would not be subject to the penalty, so they were

not going to proceed with my processing my exemption. I knew in the pit of my

stomach that smelled like

> danger, but was too swamped with other garbage to spend a lot of time

questioning it. I decided to trust that they knew what they were doing...

MISTAKE! Just got my first payment with 1% penalty, which will last all year. We

are definitely going to appeal, but, as you all know, DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS

GARBAGE! I know, I should drop them, but I would lose all of my over- 65

patients, and they are my favorites!

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, it's National Government Services.

To: Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 6:20 PMSubject: Re: Speaking of learned helplessness...

Thank goodness you attested before the end of the year, rather than being lulled into waiting by their assurances that we will still be eligible for the same amount of MU money if we wait until 2012. I am so sorry to hear about your audits! Isn't it interesting that they can be very prompt about assessing you penalties for not paying them back, when they are very slow about crediting you with those payments! Is National Gov't Services your MC carrier? I'll probably be hearing from them soon, myself, since my billing doesn't fit the "average" FP profile, either!---Sharlene>>

Sooooooooooo Sorry to hear this.  I hope I don't find out I'm in the same boat! Payment is expected in 2 weeks as attested 4 weeks ago. The 1% appeal is going to be tough and I wish you fast response. I'm fighting penalties added to "paybacks" I've submitted on time and so far have not seen reversal of the penalty. I was told that it always happens this way because it takes 6 weeks for them to catch up the payments! Like others I've been unable to pay December's bills and can't seem to catch up with last years taxes either! It's slower and got sick for 2 weeks didn't help either and the computer died and so did the replacement! Now have a real server but it's not cheap! All of December I didn't get 1/2 of the co-pays because patients are so strapped. Medicare doesn't have a clue what their audits are doing to the little doc. So far they've held 40 payments! And

I've already ranted that the 7 they did pay they down coded!> > > > ________________________________> > To: > Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 1:59 PM> Subject: Speaking of learned helplessness...> > > Â > So, CMS has kicked me twice this week. First, I realized that the meaningful use money that I was thinking was going to save me this year can't possibly come until the very end of the year, regardless of how soon I attest. I just learned that I need $24,000 in CURRENT year Medicare payments before they will pay me the maximum year 1 amount

of $18,000, and it takes me all year to generate that much in Medicare payments. And, I may not even generate that much in payments this year, because I was borderline before and many of my MC patients are switching over to Medicare Advantage plans, which don't count. Great!> > Second, I just got my first Medicare payment with a 1% penalty for not having been a "successful" e-prescriber in 2011, even though I was doing it full-time and putting the proper codes on all my claims by October. The requirement was to be doing it by the end of June, which I could not do because hardware/software incompatibilities prevented me from starting to use the necessary, updated version of my EHR by the required date. I could have used a stand-along eRX product, but decided I couldn't do the extra work. I was resigned to the penalty until I heard news that I could file a hardship exemption that seemed to be designed for docs in exactly my situation. I

filed for the exemption by the required date. About a month later, I got an e-mail from them saying that their information revealed that I would not be subject to the penalty, so they were not going to proceed with my processing my exemption. I knew in the pit of my stomach that smelled like> danger, but was too swamped with other garbage to spend a lot of time questioning it. I decided to trust that they knew what they were doing... MISTAKE! Just got my first payment with 1% penalty, which will last all year. We are definitely going to appeal, but, as you all know, DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS GARBAGE! I know, I should drop them, but I would lose all of my over- 65 patients, and they are my favorites!>

[Guest guest]

Great.

> >

> > Sooooooooooo Sorry to hear this.   I hope I don't find out I'm in the

same boat!  Payment is expected in 2 weeks as attested 4 weeks ago.  The

1% appeal is going to be tough and I wish you fast response.  I'm fighting

penalties added to " paybacks " I've submitted on time and so far have not seen

reversal of the penalty.  I was told that it always happens this way because

it takes 6 weeks for them to catch up the payments! Like others I've been unable

to pay December's bills and can't seem to catch up with last years taxes

either!  It's slower and got sick for 2 weeks didn't help either and the

computer died and so did the replacement! Now have a real server but it's not

cheap! All of December I didn't get 1/2 of the co-pays because patients are

so strapped.  Medicare doesn't have a clue what their audits are doing to the

little doc.  So far they've held 40 payments!  And I've already ranted

that the 7 they did pay

> they down coded!

> >

> >

> >

> > ________________________________

> > From: sharkinn <sharkinn@>

> > To:

> > Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 1:59 PM

> > Subject: Speaking of learned helplessness...

> >

> >

> >  

> > So, CMS has kicked me twice this week. First, I realized that the meaningful

use money that I was thinking was going to save me this year can't possibly come

until the very end of the year, regardless of how soon I attest. I just learned

that I need $24,000 in CURRENT year Medicare payments before they will pay me

the maximum year 1 amount of $18,000, and it takes me all year to generate that

much in Medicare payments. And, I may not even generate that much in payments

this year, because I was borderline before and many of my MC patients are

switching over to Medicare Advantage plans, which don't count. Great!

> >

> > Second, I just got my first Medicare payment with a 1% penalty for not

having been a " successful " e-prescriber in 2011, even though I was doing it

full-time and putting the proper codes on all my claims by October. The

requirement was to be doing it by the end of June, which I could not do because

hardware/software incompatibilities prevented me from starting to use the

necessary, updated version of my EHR by the required date. I could have used a

stand-along eRX product, but decided I couldn't do the extra work. I was

resigned to the penalty until I heard news that I could file a hardship

exemption that seemed to be designed for docs in exactly my situation. I filed

for the exemption by the required date. About a month later, I got an e-mail

from them saying that their information revealed that I would not be subject to

the penalty, so they were not going to proceed with my processing my exemption.

I knew in the pit of my stomach that smelled like

> > danger, but was too swamped with other garbage to spend a lot of time

questioning it. I decided to trust that they knew what they were doing...

MISTAKE! Just got my first payment with 1% penalty, which will last all year. We

are definitely going to appeal, but, as you all know, DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS

GARBAGE! I know, I should drop them, but I would lose all of my over- 65

patients, and they are my favorites!

> >

>