2019 Physician Fee Schedule and Updates
By Beth Turnbaugh, Director of Operations, November 13, 2018
CMS has released the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule, 2019 MIPS Quality Measure reporting and some other items that may impact your practice. Please read below.
Physician Conversion Factor
- Physician conversion factor was increased to $36.0391 up from $35.9996
- Anesthesia services
was up from $22.1887 to $22.2730.
2019 MIPS/QPP Reporting
Finalized MIPS Quality Measures to Include:
- Measure #44 – Pre-operative Beta Blocker in patients with isolated CABG surgery
- Measure #76 – CVC Sterile Barrier
- Measure #404 – Smoking Abstinence
- Measure #424 – Perioperative Temperature Management
- Measure #430 – Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Adults
- Measure #463 – Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Pediatrics
The following measures will be eliminated in the 2019 performance/reporting year:
- Measure #426 – Post-Anesthetic Transfer of Care: PACU
- Measure #427 – Post-Anesthetic Transfer of Care: ICU
E/M Documentation Reduction for Established Patients
The rule states that providers will not have to reenter information that did not change or has already been added to the patient’s chart by ancillary staff or the patient. Practitioners can focus their documentation on what has changed or pertinent things that have not changed since the last visit.
Introduction of payment for Communication Technology-Based Services
These services will most likely not be utilized in an anesthesia practice; however, pain physicians who do narcotic management may want to closely review the requirements to consider establishing these types of services in their practice.
- HCPCS Code G2012 – Brief communication technology-based services, e.g. virtual check-in
- HCPCS Code G2010 – Remote Evaluation of recorded video and/or images submitted by an established patient.
- Inter-professional Internet Consultation – for consultations between a treating provider and another physician or other healthcare professional. (CPT Codes 99446 – 99452)
Below are two of links should you wish additional information: