Expect your 2007 Medicare pay to drop 12%

Why This Topic Matters

Medicare payment updates can affect practice revenue, service mix, and budgeting decisions, especially for specialties with a heavy procedural or imaging component. Understanding the broad categories of change helps practices anticipate financial impact and review their billing mix.

Article Sections

1. Medicare physician fee schedule final rule

   Introduces the CMS final rule and frames the expected year-over-year payment changes for physician services. Summarizes the broad payment impact across specialties.

2. Conversion factor

   Discusses the Medicare Part B conversion factor and its role in the overall payment update. Notes the year-to-year comparison and the possibility of congressional action.

3. Budget neutrality adjustor

   Explains the budget neutrality adjustment applied to work relative value units and its effect on the 2007 fee schedule. Describes how this adjustment interacts with other payment changes.

4. E/M services

   Reviews the evaluation and management service updates included in the final rule. Covers the general direction of payment changes and their relevance to office-based practice patterns.

5. Imaging caps

   Summarizes the policy affecting payment for diagnostic imaging performed in the office. Covers the broader framework for technical-component limits and related implementation changes.

6. Refresher: Stage One of this “multiple imaging reduction”

   Provides background on prior imaging payment reductions and the staged approach referenced in the article. Places the 2007 rule in the context of earlier policy changes.

7. Check out how E/M national payments compare 2007 vs. 2006

   Presents a payment comparison table for selected evaluation and management services. The table shows national payment changes between 2006 and 2007.