decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2006 Issue 11 (November)
2007 fee schedule holds line on pay for family physicians and internists
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Article Overview
This article summarizes early analysis of Medicare’s 2007 physician fee schedule and the expected effect on physician reimbursement, with emphasis on family medicine, internal medicine, and other specialties. It explains the major payment drivers discussed in the CMS final rule, including overall fee schedule adjustments and changes affecting evaluation and management services. The article is useful for physicians, coders, and billing professionals who want to understand how the 2007 update may affect Medicare payment patterns across common office, hospital, consult, emergency, and critical care service categories.
Why This Topic Matters
The piece helps readers gauge how a major annual Medicare fee schedule update may influence reimbursement for high-volume services and specialties. It is especially relevant for practices that rely heavily on evaluation and management coding and want to compare expected payment shifts across service types.
Article Sections
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Overview of the 2007 Medicare physician fee schedule
Introduces the fee schedule update and summarizes the broad expected effects on physician payment. It also identifies the specialties discussed and the general reimbursement outlook.
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Conversion factor and budget neutrality adjustments
Explains the major Medicare payment variables referenced in the analysis, including the conversion factor and work RVU adjustments. The section places these changes in the context of the annual fee schedule update.
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Evaluation and management services
Focuses on the evaluation and management portion of the fee schedule and the types of services most affected. It includes a payment comparison table for commonly billed service categories.
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Table: E/M national payments compare 2007 vs. 2006
Presents a code-by-code payment comparison for evaluation and management services. The table groups office, hospital, consult, emergency department, and critical care services.
What You Will Learn
- How the 2007 Medicare physician fee schedule is being analyzed for common physician services
- Which broad Medicare payment components are discussed in the article
- How the article frames expected reimbursement effects for primary care and other specialties
- What categories of evaluation and management services are included in the payment comparison table
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Family medicine practices
- Internal medicine practices
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Revenue cycle professionals
Codes Discussed
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