Your 2011 conversion factor: $25.5217 if Congress doesn’t fix SGR

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers track federal Medicare payment changes that may affect reimbursement planning, specialty-specific revenue expectations, and reporting for new or revised services in 2011.

Article Sections

1. Fee schedule overview and conversion factor changes

   Summarizes the overall Medicare physician fee schedule update and the projected changes to physician payment levels over the transition period.

2. Specialty impacts and RVU changes

   Describes projected relative value unit trends across major specialties and the general direction of payment effects by service type.

3. Policy changes

   Introduces the main policy updates included in the final fee schedule that affect different types of physician and non-physician services.

4. General surgery HPSA bonuses

   Covers the high-level bonus policy related to services furnished in designated shortage areas and the affected provider group.

5. Primary care bonuses

   Summarizes the broad eligibility framework for primary care payment incentives and the categories of practitioners involved.

6. Annual wellness visits

   Describes the addition of new reporting options for wellness visit services and the general valuation context for those services.

7. Therapy service reductions

   Explains the therapy payment reduction policy affecting multiple services furnished on the same date by a single provider.

8. Imaging fee cuts

   Reviews the imaging-related practice expense changes and the broader impact on advanced diagnostic services.