"CY 2018 Proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Member Summary Released
On July 13, CMS posted the proposed rule for payments in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendary year (CY) 2018. In addition to payment and policy updates, the MPFS addresses a number of issues affecting Otolaryngologists. For CY 2018, CMS has generally proposed AMA Relative Update Committee's (RUC)-recommended work RVUs for new, revised, and potentially misvalued codes. CMS is propsing these values based on their understanding that the RUC genearlly considers the kinds of concrns CMS has historically raised regarding appropriate valuation of work RVUs.
Specifically, for 2018, CMS proposes values for existing and newly developed Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) and balloon sinus dilation (BSD) codes. The codes were developed in conjunction with the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA). The proposed values represent a decrease for the ESS codes ranging from -7.9% to -23.6%. The BSD codes, which had been surveyed in 2011, had values more consistent with the previous values. A table with the proposed CY 2018 Work RVUs for New, Revised, and Potentially Misvalued Codes including all of the ESS and BSD codes can be accessed here. "
From the link, looks like they've added new bundling codes of ethmoids with sphenoids and frontals, and decreased wRVUs across the board including IT reduction.
Any thoughts? They estimate a 2% specialty decline in payouts.
On July 13, CMS posted the proposed rule for payments in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendary year (CY) 2018. In addition to payment and policy updates, the MPFS addresses a number of issues affecting Otolaryngologists. For CY 2018, CMS has generally proposed AMA Relative Update Committee's (RUC)-recommended work RVUs for new, revised, and potentially misvalued codes. CMS is propsing these values based on their understanding that the RUC genearlly considers the kinds of concrns CMS has historically raised regarding appropriate valuation of work RVUs.
Specifically, for 2018, CMS proposes values for existing and newly developed Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) and balloon sinus dilation (BSD) codes. The codes were developed in conjunction with the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) and the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (AAOA). The proposed values represent a decrease for the ESS codes ranging from -7.9% to -23.6%. The BSD codes, which had been surveyed in 2011, had values more consistent with the previous values. A table with the proposed CY 2018 Work RVUs for New, Revised, and Potentially Misvalued Codes including all of the ESS and BSD codes can be accessed here. "
From the link, looks like they've added new bundling codes of ethmoids with sphenoids and frontals, and decreased wRVUs across the board including IT reduction.
Any thoughts? They estimate a 2% specialty decline in payouts.