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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

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Feds Down Conversion Factor, Up DEXA Scan RVUs

Published on Mon Apr 26, 2010

Midyear switch means about 1 RVU more for bone density study.According to a recent CMS communiqué, there will be a slight degradation of the Medicare conversion factor beginning on June 1.The $kinny: CMS is only changing the conversion factor from $36.0846 to $36.0791, states CMS Transmittal 700, published May 10. Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) will use this conversion factor to calculate your payments after May 31.The transmittal failed to address the 800-pound gorilla in the room, however ��" the 21 percent pay cut neurosurgery practices are scheduled to face on June 1. (At press time, Congress had not addressed the pay cut. Check out the next issue of Neurosurgery Coding Alert to see how it all shakes out.)Silver Lining: See More Cash for DEXAsThe transmittal contained some very good news for neurosurgery coders whose surgeons perform dual-energy x-ray absorpitometry (DEXA) scan imaging (77080, Dual-energy Xray absorpitometry [DXA], bone density, 1 [...]
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