Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: You have mentioned some book about RVUs in the past couple of newsletters. What is it, and where can I get a copy of it?

Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: The abbreviation RVU stands for relative value unit, which is the value that Medicare assigns to a procedure code. The RVU for a procedure code multiplied by the Medicare conversion factor (which is $38.2581 for 2001) results in the unadjusted payment amount for the procedure. Geographic adjustments by local Medicare carriers are then made to arrive at a final payment.

The list of RVUs for all CPT procedure codes is contained in the Medicare Physicians Fee Schedule Relative Value File, which is available online at www.hcfa.gov/stats/cpt/rvudown.htm. There will be separate files for the years 2000 and 2001, both of which can be downloaded for no charge. The database file is in the form of an Excel spreadsheet.

If you are a subscriber to the Federal Register, there is also a copy of the 2001 Physicians Fee Schedule in the November 1, 2000, edition.