In late November 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. As the American Academy of Dermatology notes, dermatology services saw a 1.5% reduction in Medicare payments as a result of the final rule.
To help providers of dermatology services understand the changes in the 2014 fee schedule, AADA published a number of helpful resources which are accessible online for free.
1. Frequently Asked Questions: 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (pdf) — This resource addresses 10 questions including (1) What will my 2014 fee schedule look like?; (2) How will the recalculation of the Medicare Economic Index affect my practice?; and (3) If there are only five dermatology-related measures in PQRS, how can I report on the required nine measures to earn a 2014 incentive?
2. 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule impact chart (pdf) — This chart identifies common dermatology codes and notes the percentage payment difference between 2013 and 2014. The largest decrease noted was for CPT 64650 (Chemodenerv eccrine glands), down 39.6%, while the largest increase was for CPT 17003(Destruct premalg les 2-14), up 47.4%.
3. Analysis of the 2014 fee schedule components — Using a series of expandable menu items, AADA provides analysis on the components of the 2014 fee schedule. This includes analysis of (1) destruction codes, and their associated reduced reimbursement rates; (2) altered payment for Mohs micrographic surgery codes; and (3) reduced payment for the photochemotherapy family of codes.
With CMS reducing reimbursement for dermatology services, dermatologists billing has even less room for error — practices simply cannot afford to leave any money on the table. One way practices can more effectively capture the reimbursement dollars they earn is to outsource their billing to an experienced medical billing company. An experienced medical billing company like PGM Billing will increase a practice’s revenue by boosting collection rates while reducing denials and delays in payment.