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ACR Praises Reimbursement Changes to 2020 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
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Updates to evaluation and management codes, included by CMS in its 2020 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule, would increase Medicare reimbursement for time-intensive health care services provided by rheumatologists and other cognitive specialists, according to a press release from the American College of Rheumatology.
“The ACR applauds CMS for recommending long-needed updates to E/M codes in its CY 2020 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule,” Paula Marchetta, MD, MBA, president of the ACR, said in the release. “Rheumatologists and other cognitive specialists should be adequately reimbursed for the time-intensive, high-value services they provide to Medicare beneficiaries.”
“The proposed changes would more closely align reimbursement for E/M services with the time and expertise they require, and will help ensure millions of Medicare beneficiaries continue to receive these vital healthcare services,” she added. “We hope to continue to work with CMS to ensure the expertise provided by rheumatologists and other cognitive specialists is appropriately reimbursed.”
The proposed changes would affect health care services billed under E/M codes, including examinations, disease diagnosis, risk assessments and care coordination. In their press release, the ACR cited a 2018 report from the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission — a 17-member federal body that advises Congress on Medicare — that stated these services are “grossly under-compensated” under the program.
According to the ACR, the CMS proposal aligns with recommendation from the AMA, which has worked with a variety of professional medical societies — including the ACR — regarding the coming year’s physician fee schedule.
In her own statement, AMA president Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, said the group “greatly appreciates” the changes proposed by CMS, which she said, “prioritize patients over paperwork and let doctors be doctors.”
“The proposed changes to documenting and coding for office visits will streamline reporting requirements, reduce note bloat, improve workflow and contribute to a better environment for health care professionals and their Medicare patients,” Harris said in the release. “The AMA stands ready to help the entire health care community implement the simplified approach to E/M documentation and coding and has created a website that provides useful background and instructional information.” – by Jason Laday