Medicare RBRVS Changes in 2021 (January 2021)

Why This Topic Matters

The 2021 changes affect reimbursement, documentation, and service reporting across many specialties, so readers need a high-level understanding of the policy landscape before applying the details in practice. The article also highlights how pandemic-era payment and telehealth changes intersect with standard Medicare fee schedule updates.

Article Sections

1. January 2021 pages 3-5

   Introductory material identifying the publication and time frame, along with a notice about the timing of the article relative to later Congressional action.

2. Conversion Factor for 2021

   Discusses the 2021 Medicare physician fee schedule final rule, overall payment redistribution, specialty-level impact, and the role of major policy changes affecting physician reimbursement.

3. Coding Changes and Work Relative Values

   Summarizes RUC activity, selected code review outcomes, and the broader areas of service valuation addressed for the 2021 payment schedule.

4. Important Changes to E/M Office Visits in 2021

   Provides an overview of the major office visit documentation and code-structure revisions adopted for 2021, along with related guidance resources.

5. Summary of E/M Office Visit Revisions for 2021

   Lists the principal categories of office visit revisions and the general documentation framework used for 2021 E/M reporting.

6. COVID-19 PHE

   Covers pandemic-related coding and payment issues tied to infection control, additional supplies and staff time, and interim Medicare policy responses.

7. Medicare Telehealth

   Describes telehealth expansions, temporary flexibilities, and the broader Medicare policy changes affecting remote patient services during the public health emergency.

8. Care Management Services and Remote Physiologic Monitoring Services

   Reviews refinements to care management, transitional care, chronic care management, and remote physiologic monitoring policies in the 2021 period.

9. Potentially Misvalued Services

   Summarizes the work of the relativity assessment process and the ongoing review of potentially misvalued services within the physician fee schedule.

10. MACRA 2015 and Medicare’s Quality Payment Program

    Introduces the Medicare quality payment framework created under MACRA and points readers to related resources and participation pathways.