Any physician in business for more than a few months knows how difficult it is to work on the business. Between keeping pace with caring for patients, insurance company demands, government regulations, and the latest medical technology, there are never enough hours in a day. That's why TMA developed the Calendar of Doom, a web-based regulatory compliance tool giving you and your staff a big-picture view of upcoming state and federal compliance timelines and key health policy issues that impact Texas physicians.

Click on the compliance date to review background information, regulations, penalties and incentives, and suggested steps to help you meet the compliance date. Questions? Contact the TMA Knowledge Center at (800) 880-7955 or email knowledge@texmed.org.



2011

January-March

April-June

July-September

September 06
RAC Audits for Anesthesiologist Overpayments
September 12
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
September 12
Medicare: E-Prescribing Penalty Prevention
September 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due

October-December

October 14
Medicare: SGR Formula, Debt Commission Standing Committee Recommendations Due
November 01
Private Payor: United Healthcare Spinal Ultrasonography Medical Policy
November 08
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 1% Medicare penalty in 2012.
November 23
Medicare: SGR Formula, Deadline for Debt Commission Joint Committee Vote
December 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
December 09
Medicare: SGR Formula, Standing Committee Reports Due on Joint Committee Recommendations
December 23
Medicare: Medicare SGR Formula, Debt Commission Deadline for House and Senate Votes; Procedural Protections End
December 31
2011 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 1-percent bonus.
December 31
2011 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) incentive year ends. Report data by March 31, 2012 to claim a 1% Medicare bonus.
December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicare EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2012 to claim your incentive payment.
December 31
PrivatePayor: Changes to BCBS Medical Policies
2012

January-March

January 01
Federal Agency: HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards. Upgrade or You Won't Get Paid!
January 01
Federal Agency: Physician Payment Sunshine Act implications for manufacturers and providers
January 01
Medicare: [Delayed] SGR Formula 29.5-Percent Medicare Physician Payment Cut Takes Effect
January 01
Private Payor: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Announces It Will Accept Billing With National Drug Codes
January 09
Medicare: Medicare won’t pay hospice claims when required face-to-face encounters do not occur timely.
January 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due
February 16
CMS to Release Comparative Billing Report on Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
March 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
March 01
PrivatePayor:BCBSTX Policy on Payment for Claims Using National Drug Codes (NDCs) 2012-03-01
March 31
Federal Agency: HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards CMS Announces Version 5010 Enforcement Discretion Period [Delayed to 6/30/2012]

April-June

April 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due
April 16
Federal Agency: DEA Registration and Reregistration Fees Increased
May 15
State Agency: Texas Franchise Tax, Reports & Payments
June 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
June 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due
June 30
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 1.5% Medicare penalty in 2013.
June 30
E-Prescribing Penalties. File 10 e-prescribing claims to avoid a 1.5% Medicare penalty in 2013.
June 30
HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards CMS Announces Version 5010 Enforcement Discretion Period

July-September

September 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare

October-December

October 01
HIT: Medicare EHR incentive program. Last chance to achieve 90 days of meaningful use for first-year particpants.
November 15
State Agency: Texas Franchise Tax, Reports & Payments - Extension Due Date
November 19
Medicare: Transition to New Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)
December 31
2012 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 1-percent bonus.
December 31
Federal Agency: HIPAA Privacy and Security Audits
December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicaid EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2013 to claim your incentive payment.
December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicare EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2013 to claim your incentive payment.
2013

January-March

January 11
Political Voice: 83rd Texas Legislature Convenes
January 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due

April-June

June 30
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 2% Medicare penalty in 2014.
June 30
E-Prescribing Penalties. File 10 e-prescribing claims to avoid a 2% Medicare penalty in 2014.

July-September

September 01
Practice Operations: Closed Formulary for Workers' Compensation Legacy Patients

October-December

October 01
Federal Agency: [Delayed] ICD-10 Compliance. Make the transition or your claims won't be paid.
December 31
2013 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 0.5-percent bonus.
2011

E-Prescribing

November 08
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 1% Medicare penalty in 2012.
December 31
2011 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 1-percent bonus.

HIT

September 12
Medicare: E-Prescribing Penalty Prevention
December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicare EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2012 to claim your incentive payment.

Medicare

September 12
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
December 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare

Medicare, SGR, physician reimbursement

October 14
Medicare: SGR Formula, Debt Commission Standing Committee Recommendations Due
November 23
Medicare: SGR Formula, Deadline for Debt Commission Joint Committee Vote
December 09
Medicare: SGR Formula, Standing Committee Reports Due on Joint Committee Recommendations

Medicare, SGR, physician_reimbursement

December 23
Medicare: Medicare SGR Formula, Debt Commission Deadline for House and Senate Votes; Procedural Protections End

Medicare:

September 06
RAC Audits for Anesthesiologist Overpayments

PQRS

December 31
2011 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) incentive year ends. Report data by March 31, 2012 to claim a 1% Medicare bonus.

PrivatePayor

December 31
PrivatePayor: Changes to BCBS Medical Policies

Taxes

September 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due

UHC, Coding, CPT_Code

November 01
Private Payor: United Healthcare Spinal Ultrasonography Medical Policy
2012

BCBS,Billing_and_Collections,Coding,

March 01
PrivatePayor:BCBSTX Policy on Payment for Claims Using National Drug Codes (NDCs) 2012-03-01

Blue_Cross_Blue_Shield, BCBS, NDC, National Drug Codes, Billing_and_Collections, CPT, Coding

January 01
Private Payor: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Announces It Will Accept Billing With National Drug Codes

Electronic Health Records, HIT

December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicaid EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2013 to claim your incentive payment.

E-Prescribing

June 30
E-Prescribing Penalties. File 10 e-prescribing claims to avoid a 1.5% Medicare penalty in 2013.
June 30
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 1.5% Medicare penalty in 2013.
December 31
2012 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 1-percent bonus.

Federal Agency

January 01
Federal Agency: HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards. Upgrade or You Won't Get Paid!
March 31
Federal Agency: HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards CMS Announces Version 5010 Enforcement Discretion Period [Delayed to 6/30/2012]
April 16
Federal Agency: DEA Registration and Reregistration Fees Increased
June 30
HIPAA 5010 Electronic Transaction Standards CMS Announces Version 5010 Enforcement Discretion Period

HIPAA

December 31
Federal Agency: HIPAA Privacy and Security Audits

HIT

October 01
HIT: Medicare EHR incentive program. Last chance to achieve 90 days of meaningful use for first-year particpants.
December 31
HIT: Reporting year ends for Medicare EHR incentive program. Register by Feb. 29, 2013 to claim your incentive payment.

Medicare

January 09
Medicare: Medicare won’t pay hospice claims when required face-to-face encounters do not occur timely.
February 16
CMS to Release Comparative Billing Report on Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
March 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
June 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
September 01
Federal Agency: Deadline to Opt Out of Medicare
November 19
Medicare: Transition to New Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)

Medicare, Medicaid

January 01
Federal Agency: Physician Payment Sunshine Act implications for manufacturers and providers

Medicare, SGR, physician_reimbursement

January 01
Medicare: [Delayed] SGR Formula 29.5-Percent Medicare Physician Payment Cut Takes Effect

Tax

January 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due
April 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due

Taxes

May 15
State Agency: Texas Franchise Tax, Reports & Payments
June 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due
November 15
State Agency: Texas Franchise Tax, Reports & Payments - Extension Due Date
2013

Coding

October 01
Federal Agency: [Delayed] ICD-10 Compliance. Make the transition or your claims won't be paid.

E-Prescribing

June 30
E-Prescribing Penalties. File 10 e-prescribing claims to avoid a 2% Medicare penalty in 2014.
June 30
E-Prescribing Hardship Exemption. File now to avoid a 2% Medicare penalty in 2014.
December 31
2013 E-Prescribing Incentives. End-of-year reporting deadline to claim a 0.5-percent bonus.

Legislative_Session

January 11
Political Voice: 83rd Texas Legislature Convenes

Practice Operations

September 01
Practice Operations: Closed Formulary for Workers' Compensation Legacy Patients

Taxes

January 15
Federal Agency: IRS - Estimated Tax Payment Due

The Texas Medical Association designed this tool to provide general information about state and federal health care compliance dates and key health policy issues. This information is not intended to provide advice on any specific legal matter and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. When dealing with personal legal or financial matters, please seek advice from retained legal counsel or other certified/licensed industry professional.

While every effort is made to ensure that content is complete, accurate, and timely, TMA cannot guarantee the accuracy and totality of the information contained in this website. Further, TMA assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, or omissions and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for loss or damages resulting from the use of this content.