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IN THE NEWSVol. 67 %u2022 No. 8 %u2022 August 2025%u2022President%u2019s Page -- Communication key to regaining patients%u2019 trust -- page 2%u2022Medical debt reporting ban vacated -- page 3%u2022Annual Business Expo -- page 3%u2022Texas healthcare law changes coming Sept.1 -- page 3%u2022Scam watch! %u2013 DEA impersonators -- page 4%u2022IN MEMORIAM - Dr. Charles Bailey -- page 4%u20222026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule -- page 5%u2022HCMS Orientation for Practice Staff -- page 5%u2022Choosing the right practice model -- page 6%u2022Botanic Garden -- page 6%u2022What are Excludes 1 and Excludes 2 denials? -- page 6%u2022TMASFF Cowles Young Physician Scholarship Endowment awarded to two future HCMS medical leaders -- page 7%u2022Calendar -- page 8%u2022Branch Meetings are back! -- page 8%u2022Classifieds -- page 92026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed RuleThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule on July 16. In addition to the physician fee schedule, the rule includes proposed changes to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), alternative payment model (APM) participation options and requirements, telemedicine, and other provisions. Payment rate proposals: CMS proposes to set the 2026 Medicare payment rates for physician services based on two separate conversion factors (CF) per MACRA %u2013 one for qualifying APM participants (QP), and one for non-QPs:%u2022QPs: A CF of $33.59 representing a projected increase of $1.24 (+3.83%) over 2025 rates. %u2022Non-QPs: A CF of $33.42 representing a projected increase of $1.07 (+3.62%) over 2025 rates. The increases in the CFs are driven by three factors:%u2022A MACRA statutory update of 0.75% for QPs and 0.25% for non-QPs.%u2022A 0.55% positive budget neutrality adjustment (due to the efficiency adjustment mentioned below).%u2022A 2.5% one-year payment increase from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.However, the proposed increases would be offset by the application of a -2.5% %u201cefficiency adjustment%u201d to the work RVUs and corresponding updates to the intraservice portion of physician time inputs for non-time-based services (procedures, radiology services, diagnostic tests, etc.) to account for the efficiencies gained by technology improvements, better workflows, and other factors. The adjustment would be calculated by adding the last five years of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) productivity adjustment and applied every three years in congruence with other updates (GPCI, MP RVU, etc.). Evaluation and management visits, care management services, behavioral health services, services on the CMS telehealth list, and maternity codes with a global continued on page 5New Member & Young Physician Reception at Museum of Illusions was a success!On Tuesday,July 22, the HCMS New Member & Young Physician Reception was held at the Museum of Illusions, and it was a great success. The event drew 152 physicians and their guests for an evening of mindbending exhibits, networking, refreshments, door prizes, and fun games.%u00a0CLICK ANY ARTICLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE