Endocrine Insider
July 28, 2010

(See full issue)

In the 2010 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) eliminated Medicare billing for inpatient and outpatient/office consultation codes effective January 1, 2010.  CMS stated in its proposed rule that it anticipated endocrinologists to fare better by approximately three percent compared to past years due to an increase in payment to new and established office visit codes and initial hospital stay codes. However, many Society members indicated that they expected to see a 15 to 20 percent cut to their Medicare reimbursement as a result of the policy change.

Since the CMS announcement last summer, the Society has been active in a coalition of cognitive specialties working to identify a solution to the changes in billing. The coalition recently conducted a survey of physician members to determine the financial impact that the elimination of these codes has had on their practices, and what action(s) they have taken or plan to take as a result. Society members were among those surveyed.

The survey indicates:

• 72 percent of the approximately 5,500 physicians surveyed estimated that the elimination of billing for consultations had decreased their total revenues by more than five percent.
• 30 percent have already reduced their services to Medicare patients or are contemplating cost-cutting steps that will impact care. 
• 20 percent of physicians surveyed have already eliminated or reduced appointments for new Medicare patients.
• 39 percent will defer the purchase of new equipment and/or information technology.
• 34 percent are eliminating staff, including physicians in some cases. 

The results of the survey of all physicians may be viewed here.  Endocrinologist-specific data may be found here.

The Endocrine Society will continue to work with the American Medical Association and the specialty coalition to identify a legislative or regulatory solution