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AAP News Vol. 15 No. 1 January 1999, p. 5 © 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
Primary care pediatricians may see a more equitable reimbursement schedule based on new Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) regulations released on Nov. 2. Historically, the physician reimbursement system has been based on physicians' actual charges. Four years ago, Congress directed HCFA to replace this method with a new system relating fees to resources physicians use to provide the service. In response to Congress' directive, HCFA issued a controversial proposed rule in 1997. Because some medical specialty groups fought the proposed rule, Congress delayed implementing the new fee schedule by one year, telling HCFA to restudy the proposal and to phase the new fee schedule in over four years.
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