Medicare Fee Schedule 2014: Good News For EDs: More Cash Could Be Headed Your Way

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps emergency medicine stakeholders understand broad Medicare payment policy changes that may influence allowed charges, RVU weighting, conversion factors, and geographic adjustments for 2014.

Article Sections

1. Proposed Rule Overview and Projected Specialty Impact

   Summarizes the proposed Medicare physician fee schedule changes and the expected overall effect on emergency medicine. It introduces the policy context and the specialty-level payment outlook.

2. Factors Driving Relative Value Unit Changes

   Reviews the main policy drivers behind the year-to-year RVU revisions discussed in the article. The section focuses on the broader Medicare methodology affecting multiple specialties.

3. Emergency Department Impact of MEI Reweighting

   Explains why the proposed Medicare Economic Index revisions are especially relevant to emergency department services. It discusses the general shift in how certain labor-related components are treated in the payment framework.

4. How Decreased RVUs Can Still Lead to Higher Payments

   Describes the relationship between lower RVUs and the final payment estimate under the proposal. The section emphasizes the combined effect of RVU changes and the conversion factor.

5. GPCI Floor Expiration and Geographic Adjustments

   Covers the possible end of the national floor for work geographic practice cost indices and the states excepted from that change. It also notes the timing for public comment and release of the final rule.