2008 Medicare Physician Payment Changes (January 2008)

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers track Medicare fee schedule updates that can affect payment, valuation, and reporting across multiple service categories. It also highlights CMS and AMA/RUC policy changes that may influence practice operations and coding workflows during the 2008 payment year.

Article Sections

1. 2008 Medicare Physician Payment Changes

   Introduces the 2008 Medicare physician payment update and the overall scope of the fee schedule changes discussed in the article.

2. Coding Changes and Work Relative Values

   Covers CMS and RUC review activity affecting physician work valuation, including selected service categories and new or revised CPT code changes.

3. Practice Expense Relative Values

   Summarizes changes to practice expense methodology, the transition to a revised calculation approach, and related survey activity.

4. Professional Liability Insurance

   Notes the status of CMS professional liability insurance policy updates for the 2008 payment year.

5. Geographic Practice Cost Indices

   Reviews the annual update process for geographic practice cost indices and the phase-in approach used for 2008.

6. Deficit Reduction Act

   Describes imaging-related payment policy changes tied to the Deficit Reduction Act and the expansion of services affected by the OPPS cap.

7. IVIG Administration

   Explains the continuation of an add-on payment policy related to intravenous immune globulin administration support services.

8. Physician Quality Reporting Initiative

   Summarizes the 2008 PQRI timeframe, participation context, and the availability of quality measures and reporting specifications.