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Medicare Nearly Doubles Ophthalmic A-Scan Pay

Published on Mon Mar 08, 2004

CMS' fee schedule update increases pay for several radiology procedures

If Medicare's 2004 Physician Fee Schedule left you feeling shortchanged, a new CMS update may offer some good news. On Feb. 20, CMS released Transmittal 105, which corrects mistakes that existed in the original fee schedule.
 
Most notably, Medicare nearly doubled the relative value units (RVUs) assigned to ophthalmic A-scans (76516, Ophthalmic biometry by ultrasound echography, A-scan). Both the nonfacility and facility practice expense RVUs rose from a mere 0.73 to a whopping 1.45. Based on the 2004 conversion factor of 37.3374, this represents a $27 raise (unadjusted for location).

The following is a breakdown of the RVU changes that affect radiologists.
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