decisionhealth Newsletters, Part B News - 2006 Issue 7 (July)
Invisible pay cut: RVU changes cause reimbursement dip in ‘07
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Article Overview
This article explains expected changes in physician service reimbursement for 2007, focusing on CMS RVU updates, budget neutrality effects, and the combined impact on office and facility fees. It is relevant to physicians, coders, billers, and practice administrators tracking Medicare payment trends and annual fee schedule updates. The piece presents broad data analysis and compares overall fee movement across settings, including how some commonly reported visit services may fare under the projected changes.
Why This Topic Matters
Understanding these reimbursement shifts helps practices anticipate payment changes, budget more accurately, and monitor how annual Medicare updates may affect service mix and revenue.
Article Sections
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Projected 2007 reimbursement impact
Overview of the expected direction of physician service fees for the coming year and the general comparison between office and facility settings.
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Factors influencing RVU changes
Discussion of the CMS review processes and adjustment mechanisms contributing to the overall fee movement described in the article.
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Distribution of fee changes across codes
Summary of how the article characterizes projected increases and decreases across a large set of physician service codes in different settings.
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Examples of codes with stronger payment outlook
Illustrative discussion of selected established patient visit services mentioned as potential relative winners under the projected fee schedule changes.
What You Will Learn
- How CMS policy changes can affect physician fee schedule reimbursement trends
- Why RVU updates can alter office and facility payment patterns
- How broad code-level reimbursement changes are summarized in a data analysis
- What kinds of services may be less affected by the projected conversion factor change
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Practice administrators
- Revenue cycle staff
Codes Discussed
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