News You Can Use:
Medicare Lowers Conversion Factor to $36.0666 for 2009
Published on Tue Jan 27, 2009
But you won't feel as much of a crunch, thanks to a budget neutrality adjustment. CMS has released the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for next year. Despite a lower conversion factor, the news isn't all bleak. In fact, your neurosurgery practice won't see a change in reimbursement next year. Here's what you need to know now. Some Specialties Fare Better Than Others Don't lose heart when you see CMS's 2009 conversion factor of $36.0666 -- a drop from this year's $38.0870. CMS attempts to make up for the lower conversion factor by boosting the budget neutrality adjustment by 1.1 percent. Therefore, despite the lower conversion factor, the relative value units (RVUs) for some procedures have gone up. What it means to you: While some specialties won't fare as well, neurosurgeons will see a 0 percent scheduled change to their reimbursement. Some specialties will see increases, but others will see decreases of [...]
