Final Doctor Pay Rule Delays Pay-Transparency Measure; Assigns First Care-Management Code Pay Rates; Finishes ACO Quality Measures

The final 2015 pay rule for physician services puts off pay-transparency measures until 2017; assigns the first pay rates for new care-management codes; implements Obamacare's value-based pay modifier; finishes changes to several quality reporting initiatives, including for accountable care organizations; and combines pay for sedation and colonoscopy to avoid surprising seniors with copays for screening that is supposed to be free. The Physician Fee Schedule is among three pay rules that CMS published Friday evening (Oct. 31), the others covering...