Who Were the Winners and Losers in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule?

Why This Topic Matters

The piece helps readers understand high-level Medicare payment trends for 2017 and identify which specialties or practice types may have been more or less affected by the fee schedule update. It is useful for billing, coding, compliance, and practice management audiences tracking federal payment policy.

Article Sections

1. Conversion Factor

   Introduces the annual conversion factor update and frames it as part of the broader Medicare physician payment calculation for the year.

2. Rundown

   Summarizes the article’s overall context, including CMS policy direction and its influence on fees and estimated allowed charges.

3. Who Came Out Ahead and Who Fell Behind

   Discusses which provider groups saw the most favorable and least favorable estimated impacts under the 2017 schedule.

4. Status quo

   Notes that most providers experienced limited change overall while some code and service revaluations still affected final estimates.