Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Will You Be Impacted by the 2017 Fee Schedule Changes?

Published on Mon Jul 18, 2016

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As CMS integrates MACRA-backed ideologies, quality care that puts the patient first continues to influence policies, payments, and fees. This approach is evident in the 2017 Proposed Fee Schedule and is specifically highlighted in the estimated impact section of the Federal Register report, which outlines the specialties that are projected to make more money than before—and those who are expected to take a hit.

Top Ten: Those Who Come Out Ahead and Those Who Don’t

Family practitioners lead the pack of specialists who will prosper in 2017 if the proposed fee schedule is finalized, with an estimated combined impact of three percent, while interventional radiology looks to see the biggest declines.

Here’s a look at the biggest impacts on specialties and their estimated increases and decreases with the 2017 Proposed Fee Schedule:

(Data from TABLE 43: CY 2017 PFS Estimated Impact on Total Allowed Charges by Specialty)

Status quo. A majority of providers will see very little difference with the fee changes for CY 2017, but may feel the impact of the revaluation of codes and services under this proposed plan.

Resource: For a closer look at the detailed data and outlook by specialty, visit https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-16097.pdf.