Analyze how Medicare fee changes impact your various specialties

Why This Topic Matters

Medicare fee updates can create uncertainty for practice budgeting and revenue planning, especially when temporary legislative changes affect the final payment outlook. The article helps readers assess potential financial impact by specialty and understand the general categories of data needed for forward-looking analysis.

Article Sections

1. Introduction

   Overview of the payment environment and why practices may need to evaluate Medicare fee changes across multiple specialties.

2. Specialties and other factors affected by fee changes

   Discussion of specialty groups that may be affected and mention of additional fee schedule factors that can influence practice revenue.

3. The five-step formula

   A procedural outline for analyzing fee schedule impacts using Medicare data, with emphasis on preparing calculations for specialty practices.

4. Medicares 2008 fees: Key figures and calculations

   Summary of key Medicare fee schedule figures for 2008 and a general description of the calculation framework used to estimate allowable amounts.

5. Resource

   Reference to a CMS source for downloading related fee schedule and geographic adjustment files.