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CMS Releases 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

Members & Publications

November 3, 2021

On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the annual Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule.  The rule finalizes payment and policy changes which will take effect January 1, 2022.  Earlier this year, your Academy submitted detailed comments to CMS regarding the proposed rule.  The final rule includes several policies which may significantly impact physiatry.

The rule finalizes a more than 3.7% decrease to the 2022 conversion factor, a change from $34.89 to $33.59.  This is primarily due to the expiration of the +3.75% one year update Congress provided at the end of 2020.  Your Academy advocated strongly in favor of the 3.75% increase to physician payment in 2020 and we have been advocating this year for Congress to take similar action before the end of this year.   

The rule also finalizes policy on several issues your Academy has been monitoring including:

  • Establishment of payment rates for new services and updates to rates for existing services.
  • Changes to policies for split (or shared) evaluation and management visits.
  • Expansion of coverage for telehealth services.
  • Expanded coverage of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation services associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.
  • Update to the clinical labor rates used to calculate practice expense.
  • Updates to the Quality Payment Program and MIPS Value Pathways

Your Academy staff is currently reviewing the final rule in detail.  A comprehensive fact sheet is now available on the CMS website.   In the coming weeks, the Academy website will be updated to include additional information about the rule.  Information about the Quality Payment Program can also be found on the Academy website.  Finally, members interested in learning more about the 2022 Quality Payment Program requirements should join the Annual Assembly session, 2022 MIPS: Preparing Your Practice for Reporting and Strategies to Improve Performance on Friday November 12 at 1:00pm Central Time.

Legislation Introduced to Alleviate Impact of Conversion Factor Cut for 2021

Nov 09, 2020

Last month, two bills were introduced in the House proposing solutions to the estimated 10.6% Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor cut expected to go into effect January 1, 2021.  The bills offer some relief to the cut, but do not reflect a comprehensive or long-term solution.  AAPM&R has therefore chosen to remain neutral regarding these bills. 

Your Academy continues to advocate for a permanent solution to the conversion factor cut while maintaining the important payment increases to office and outpatient evaluation and management services.

 

 

 

 

 

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