Physician_Fee_Schedule_Rules / 1999

Why This Topic Matters

The rule establishes payment policy details that affect how Medicare Part B services were valued and paid in 1999. It is relevant for anyone reviewing historical physician fee schedule policy, reimbursement methodology, or the Medicare regulatory framework affecting multiple specialties and service settings.

Article Sections

1. Background

   Overview of the statutory and regulatory background for the physician fee schedule and prior fee schedule updates.

2. Specific Proposals for Calendar Year 1998; Response to Comments

   Discussion of the main policy proposals addressed in the rule and the public comments received on them.

3. Resource-Based Practice Expense Relative Value Units

   General discussion of the development, transition, and refinement of practice expense methodology under the fee schedule.

4. Resource-Based Practice Expense Legislation

   Legislative background for the resource-based practice expense system and its transition requirements.

5. Proposed Methodology for Computing Practice Expense Relative Value Units

   Description of the overall approach used to derive practice expense values and the data sources used in the methodology.

6. Practice Expense Cost Pools

   Explanation of how specialty-based cost pools were formed from survey and claims information.

7. Cost Allocation Methodology

   Broad explanation of how practice expense pools were allocated across service groups and specialties.

8. Other Methodological Issues

   Additional methodological topics affecting professional and technical components, specialty crosswalks, and time adjustments.

9. Top-Down Methodology

   Summary of comments and responses concerning the overall methodology for practice expense valuation.

10. SMS Data

    Discussion of comments and responses related to survey data used in the practice expense calculations.

11. CPEP Data

    Discussion of comments and responses related to procedure-level input data and related refinement concerns.

12. Physician Time

    Issues involving physician time data used in calculating practice expense pools and allocations.

13. Crosswalk Issues

    Specialty crosswalk questions and responses concerning how certain services and specialties were mapped for practice expense purposes.

14. Calculation of Practice Expense Pools--Other Issues

    Additional comments and responses on claims data, specialty representation, and other pool calculation issues.

15. Allocation of Practice Expense Pools to Codes

    Discussion of how the practice expense pools were allocated at the code level and how related concerns were addressed.

16. Other Issues

    General policy and impact topics not limited to one methodology area, including access, budget neutrality, and implementation effects.