As part of the final 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) specified new codes and payment levels for PCI and ablation-electrophysiology (EP) studies for next year. As part of ongoing efforts to evaluate potentially misvalued services, new CPT codes have been created to report PCI as well as to bundle EP studies with ablation.
The physician work relative value units (RVUs) CMS finalized result in physician work RVU reductions of roughly 20 percent to the family of PCI codes and roughly 27 percent to the family of EP/ablation codes. The impact will vary depending on practice patterns. Unfortunately, CMS did not adopt the RVU values developed through the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) process. Instead, the agency reduced payment for new ablation add-on codes and bundled PCI add-on codes into the base procedures.
To help you and your billing staff prepare for these major coding changes, the American College of Cardiology has teamed up with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions and the Heart Rhythm Society for a special webinar from 3-5 p.m. ET on Nov. 28. Learn directly from those who presented the codes and sat at the table during the CPT and RUC processes. Register now.
The ACCF/AMA CPT Reference Guide for Cardiovascular Coding is your one-stop resource for understanding significant new code revisions; efficiently and accurately reporting cardiovascular services and procedures; brushing up on CPT guidelines; and guidance on general intent and use of radiological and cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and services. Order your copy now.
Gain access to tools, resources and expert knowledge that will help you navigate the changing practice landscape at the 2013 Cardiovascular Summit taking place Jan. 10-12, 2013, in Las Vegas. The impact of coding and documentation on provider compensation will be explored during a session and a special workshop will focus on cardiology coding and compliance imperatives for 2013. Learn more and register here.