Large boost to E/M work RVUs proposed in new rule

From Part B News (www.partbnews.com):

You would see a 37% boost to the work RVUs for 99213 – the most commonly billed code to Medicare – beginning in 2007. That would raise the national average payment to $62.91 from $52.68 (in the unlikely event all other elements of the physician payment formula remained unchanged).

The change would occur as a result of CMS’s proposed five-year-review changes to work RVUs, the agency announced today. The proposed rule was  issued late Wednesday afternoon.

Work RVUs for 99214 and 99204 would increase 29% under CMS’s proposal, while 99222 and 99232 would be boosted by 31%. The existing patient codes are among the top 10 codes billed to Medicare.  (Work RVUs make up 52.5% of the Medicare reimbursement dollar.)