Coding & Reimbursement
New Physician Specialty Code for Epileptologists
We are pleased to announce the implementation of a new physician specialty code, F6, used to indicate the specialty designation for an epileptologist. The new code, created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is the result of a collaborative effort among specialty societies that included submitting a [...]
CMS Approves New Subspecialty Code for Epileptologists
As a result of a collaborative request from the American Epilepsy Society (AES), the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS), and the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has approved a new specialty code for epileptologists. The new code will allow CMS to [...]
CMS Releases Medicare Proposed Regulations for 2024
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released proposed rules for 2024 on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). Both rules are open for comments until mid-September and the final rules are typically released in November. Changes in policy and payment [...]
NAEC Resources on Long-Term EEG Monitoring
Beginning on January 1, 2020, the CPT coding structure for long-term EEG and EEG with video monitoring (VEEG) changed dramatically. NAEC has been working with AAN, ACNS, and AES to provide summaries of the coding changes, webinars, and an analysis of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule’s treatment of the [...]
CMS Releases Medicare Proposed Regulations for 2023
This month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released proposed rules for 2023 on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). Both rules are open for comments until mid-September and the final rules are typically released in November. Changes in policy [...]
Calendar Year 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule Released
On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for services effective January 1, 2022. A summary of the major provisions of the MPFS proposed rule impacting epilepsy centers, including charts showing physician work relative value units [...]
HHS Extends Public Health Emergency through April and Medicare Conversion Factor Increased by Congress
On Monday, January 11, the Secretary of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration for an additional 90 days. This will extend the telehealth and other flexibilities and waivers under Medicare and Medicaid until April 21, 2021. In addition, CMS has recalculated the Medicare Physician [...]
Congress Mitigates 2021 Reduction in Medicare Payments for Physician Services
Yesterday, Congress passed a comprehensive year-end bill that funds the federal government through FY 2021 and provides a new round of COVID relief and economic stimulus funds. The bill also included changes to the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including two provisions which will mitigate the 10.2% reduction in Medicare’s [...]
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for CY 2021 Proposed Rule Released
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for CY 2021 Proposed Rule Released A summary of the major provisions of the CMS proposed rule impacting epilepsy centers along with charts showing the relative value units and Medicare national average payment rates for neurology, neurosurgery, and evaluation and management services can be found here. [...]
CMS Releases Rules Providing Flexibility to Providers during the COVID Emergency
On March 30, 2020 and April 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Interim Final Rules providing significant flexibility in Medicare coverage and payment for hospital and physician services and waivers on other Medicare and Medicaid requirements. Most of these changes were made effective as [...]
