Interesting WaPo article on physician pay
The study authors took a unique approach, linking Medicare's registry of physicians (the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, or NPPES) to physicians' tax information with their NPIs and specialties. They analyzed more than 10 million tax records from 965,000 physicians over 13 years. They focused on “peak earning years”, ages 40-55.
Radiation oncology fell 3rd on the list, at $709,000. Neurosurgeons (about $920,000) and orthopedic surgeons ($789,000) were 1st and 2nd. These 2...
Read more (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - August 5, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Rad Onc SK Tags: Radiation Oncology Source Type: forums
Increasing % of studies read by midlevels... what does this mean for the future?
Trends in Diagnostic Imaging by Non-Physician Practitioners and Associations with Urbanicity and Scope-of-Practice Authority
We aimed to assess the changing share of diagnostic imaging billed by NPPs and how such changes differ by urbanicity within the context of scope-of-pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
"Studying 110 million imaging claims from commercially insured and Medicare Advantage patients, we found significant increases in imaging claims billed by NPPs (PAs + NPs) between 2016 and 2020. Our findings confirm trends recently reported in Medi...
Source: Student Doctor Network - August 3, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Shunsui Tags: Radiology Source Type: forums
CBCT General/Direct Supervision
Does anyone have the actual 100% clear idea if IGRT imaging can be billed when the physician is off site? Does APP presence count? I heard yesterday the dates for any rule changes were pushed back but this is here say. Is there a resource to say that commercial payers do not audit this but medicare does? (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - August 1, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: xrt123 Tags: Radiation Oncology Source Type: forums
Pain clinic chain to pay $11.4M to settle Medicare and Medicaid fraud claims
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The settlement also alleges Lagattuta encouraged unsuitable patients to undergo spinal cord stimulation. It describes the procedure as “an invasive surgery of last resort,” in which implants placed near the spinal cord apply low-voltage electrical pulses to nerve fibers.
Lagattuta paid a psychiatrist $3,000 each month to falsely certify that every Lags Medical candidate for the procedure had no...
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Source: Student Doctor Network - July 29, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Agast Tags: Pain Medicine Source Type: forums
Is this a good nonclinical volunteering opportunity?
Title says it all. Family has had a personal experience with high healthcare costs and I figured a good way to contribute to greater healthcare equity is by volunteering at the California HICAP program, where I will be helping seniors navigate Medicare, compare insurance plans to figure out how to get the best coverage for their buck, etc. I've heard that nonclinical volunteering should be directed to those less fortunate than myself (food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, etc). Will...
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Source: Student Doctor Network - July 20, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: meepmeep1 Tags: Pre-Medical (MD) Source Type: forums
More cuts from CMS, and to no surprise DR and IR top the list yet again
CMS Proposes Nearly 3.4% Cut in Medicare Physician Fees for 2024
Cut 'raises significant concerns for medical groups,' one organization says
www.medpagetoday.com
Applying into radiology this year. Just unfortunate to see this...
Physicians are the only group that does not receive an annual inflation adjustment from medicare. Facility fees do get this adjustment, which is how surgeons are still sustaining high income despite demolition of the professional fee. I was speaking to an ophthalmologist who said they would make far less if they ...
Source: Student Doctor Network - July 17, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: MDapplicant578124 Tags: Radiology Source Type: forums
CMS Released- MORE PAY CUTS FOR ‘24
This is friggin ridiculous already. Are they serious???
Anesthesiologists Denounce Another Year of Medicare Payment Cuts, Urge Immediate Reforms
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) condemned yet another year of cuts to Medicare payments for critically important anesthesia and pain medicine services.
www.asahq.org (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - July 14, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: TeslaCoil Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: forums
Support the AMA - a group actually trying
Medicare physician pay fell 26% since 2001. How did we get here?
Medicare’s unsustainable pay system threatens access to care. The failure to update physician pay for inflation is a huge part of the problem.
www.ama-assn.org
For all of you who have had an on and off AMA relationship, I ask you to reconsider.
They are pushing to tie Medicare payments with inflation and blasting out how reimbursement has decreased significantly while education costs, practice costs, complexity, have all increased. Doximity similarly had a good article based on the...
Source: Student Doctor Network - July 11, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: DebtRising Tags: Radiation Oncology Source Type: forums
Facility fee decrease for implants (63685)
Has there been a cut in facility fee reimbursement for IPG implants (CPT 63685)? Searching for the medicare amount now indicates it's around $9k, whereas even a few weeks ago it was around $29k. Any insight from those who may know more would be appreciated. (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - July 8, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: lmsanscafe Tags: Pain Medicine Source Type: forums
Medicare facet denials
I am 0 for 15 this week with Medicare. Each one cited not documenting a functional disability scale.
The LCD said a pain scale counted. I document a VAS/Numeric pain scale. But it looks like it doesn’t count. I am in the WPS region of Medicare.
What disability scale are all of you documenting? (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - July 1, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: myrandom2003 Tags: Pain Medicine Source Type: forums
Tell Congress: Adjust Medicare Payments for Inflation
Sorry for the cross post. HR 2474 affects physician payments, of all specialties, more than it affects psychologists. Please consider emailing your legislators.
APA has an automated way to do this. I'm sure ApA or AMA has one too.
Tell Congress: Adjust Medicare Payments for Inflation
Please take 2 minutes to ask Congress to support H.R. 2474, which would protect the safety net for older Americans by ensuring Medicare provider payments keep pace with inflation. This bill has important implications for the future of the mental and...
www.v...
Source: Student Doctor Network - June 30, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: PsyDr Tags: Psychiatry Source Type: forums
Astro 🔫🦶
ASTRO Releases New Radiation Oncology Payment Reform Legislative Proposal
By Geraldine Jacobson, MD, MBA, MPH, FASTRO, ASTRO Chair; Connie Mantz, MD, FASTRO, Health Policy Council Chair; and Catheryn Yashar, MD, FASTRO, Health Policy Council Vice-chair
On June 23, ASTRO’s Board of Directors approved pursuing legislation to create a new Radiation Oncology Case Rate (ROCR) payment program under traditional Medicare, which would:
Change radiation oncology payment from...
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Source: Student Doctor Network - June 28, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: TheWallnerus Tags: Radiation Oncology Source Type: forums
Transitioning commercial RFA to Medicare
There are several insurance companies that cover 3 joint bilateral RFA in my state (Cigna, UHC, and Aetna)
Medicare no longer does, as we all know.
I have recently seen several patients just before Medicare age (63yrs old, for example) with facets bad enough that they would benefit from 3 joint bilateral RFA and so I’ve done that for them with great results.
The question is how to handle the insurance side of things 2 years later when they transition to Medicare as Medicare only covers...
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Source: Student Doctor Network - June 24, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: bedrock Tags: Pain Medicine Source Type: forums
Do commercial insurers and Medicare require psychiatrists to complete treatment plans?
I apologize if this question has already been asked and answered, but I couldn't find much on a quick search of this forum or reddit. Do Medicare and commercial insurers require documented treatment plans (and, if so, does it matter if the patients sign them - I send it to them electronically, but not all of them sign it)? Are treatment plans considered the standard of care? I remember doing them all the time as a resident when I worked at a clinic that served a large population with...
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Source: Student Doctor Network - June 11, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: geripsyched Tags: Psychiatry Source Type: forums
New Prior Auth Requirements for Novitas for facet procedures
I am sure you are all aware that starting July 1st Novitas is requiring all facet procedures (MBBs, injections, RFAs) to get pre authorized if done in an HOPD. So all you employed hospital docs and those of you doing procedures in a surgical hosptial will now be required to get pre auth for all facet procedures in regular medicare patients if you want yo get paid. And the Novitas stated it can take 10 business days to get approval.
This is going to be a ****show (Source: Student Doctor Network)
Source: Student Doctor Network - June 1, 2023 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: jsaul Tags: Pain Medicine Source Type: forums
