She stresses the added value members can play in this advocacy by responding to future surveys to provide as much physician input as possible to help the CMS make the right decisions on care costs and reimbursement to allow practices to recoup those costs.
Reimbursement Developments in the Coming Year
Looking ahead to 2024, Ms. Chung expects that CPT codes used in rheumatology could come up for review, and she wants members to be ready. Here’s what members can expect if this happens:
- As soon as the ACR learns a CPT code review could impact members, the College will communicate this information broadly through news and social media channels. Here’s an example sent in 2019.
- Next, members should be ready to receive a survey via email, keeping in mind that only 1,500 or so members will get the survey. A blank survey illustrates what it looks like.
- Find detailed instructions for how to navigate the survey.
Dr. Laing encourages all ACR members to keep an eye out for news and social media posts specific to any topics related to payer activity, because the ACR advocates on behalf of rheumatology at the federal level on many important payment issues. For example, this year Ms. Chung participated in edits to evaluation and management documentation guidelines designed to support decision making in determining which code to bill. “Antanya Chung has extensive knowledge of the complex landscape of payment practices, and she has more than 20 years of experience working directly with payers and those who advocate appropriate payment for rheumatology services,” Dr. Laing notes.
Ms. Chung stresses the value of members sharing their payment experiences with the ACR, because “this direct awareness of what physicians are experiencing in practice is often the catalyst for the ACR to share their concerns with those making payment decisions.”
ACR members can communicate any questions regarding payment concerns or questions about reimbursement, coding and the RUC/CPT survey process by contacting Antanya Chung directly at [email protected] or (404) 633-3777 x818.
Carina Stanton is a freelance science journalist based in Denver.
