Fee schedule 2015: Physicians expect SGR fix to avoid 21% pay cut in April and more from 2015 rule

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers track fee schedule developments that can affect Medicare reimbursement, workflow planning, and coding-related operational decisions for 2015 and beyond. It also highlights policy changes that may influence how services are valued and paid across multiple specialties.

Article Sections

1. Medicare physician fee schedule outlook and SGR context

   Discusses the annual Medicare payment update environment and the broader policy situation surrounding the physician fee schedule. It frames the article’s focus on reimbursement changes and expected legislative action.

2. 5 more notable fee schedule provisions

   Summarizes several additional policy updates in the 2015 final rule affecting service valuation, payment methodology, and specialty practice operations.

3. Global period policy changes

   Covers the planned phase-out of longer global surgery periods and related valuation work involving CMS and stakeholders.

4. Locum tenens policy

   Notes the final rule’s handling of substitute physician billing arrangements and the fact that existing policy remains in place.

5. Therapy caps

   Describes the annual update to outpatient therapy cap amounts and the settings where those limits apply.

6. Moderate sedation changes

   Addresses revisions to moderate sedation time and payment policies for selected procedures, along with related package changes.

7. Film-to-digital transition plan

   Explains the final rule’s shift in practice expense methodology for imaging services from film-based inputs to digital inputs.