AMA Clinical Examples in Radiology - 2011 Bulletin 2
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2012 Final Rule
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2012 Final Rule In the final rule of the calendar year (CY) 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) imposes a multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) of 25% to the professional component of the second and subsequent computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) studies provided to a patient in the same session. In addition, CMS also applies this policy to any multiple interpretations provided by physicians in the same group practice. This effort is part of CMS' attempt to find efficiencies in potentially...
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article reviews the calendar year 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule with emphasis on CMS payment policy changes affecting radiology and other physician services. It covers the broad areas addressed in the rule, including multiple procedure payment adjustments, misvalued service review activities, practice expense-related updates, ultrasound equipment pricing, bone-density test payment, and Physician Quality Reporting System changes. The article is relevant to coders, billers, compliance staff, and physician practice administrators who track annual Medicare payment policy updates and their operational impact.
Why This Topic Matters
Medicare physician fee schedule changes can affect reimbursement, reporting workflows, and the way practices monitor high-volume services. Understanding the scope of the final rule helps healthcare organizations stay current with CMS payment policy and quality reporting updates.
Article Sections
-
Overview of the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
Introduces the calendar year 2012 final rule and summarizes the major policy areas addressed by CMS. The section frames the article around payment, valuation, and reporting updates.
-
Radiology-related multiple procedure payment reduction
Discusses CMS payment policy changes affecting imaging services and related professional interpretations. The section focuses on the broader radiology context of the rule.
-
Misvalued services and practice expense review topics
Covers CMS efforts to identify and review potentially misvalued services under the physician fee schedule. The section also addresses practice expense and equipment-related topics mentioned in the rule.
-
Physician Quality Reporting System changes
Summarizes updates finalized for physician quality reporting. The section places those changes within the broader Medicare payment rule.
What You Will Learn
- What areas of the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule are highlighted in the article
- How CMS framed its review of potentially misvalued physician services
- Which broad payment and reporting topics were included in the final rule
- How the rule relates to radiology and physician practice operations
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Compliance professionals
- Physician practice administrators
- Radiology practices
- Healthcare reimbursement analysts
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com
