Specialists generally receive higher payment rates over primary care physicians, but the current trend of primary care and care coordination permeated throughout the proposed rule. Here is the full breakdown of Medicare payment rate increases and decreases from CMS’ proposed rule (pdf). A final rule on next year’s payment rates is expected to be released November 1.
Family practice: 7 percent
Internal medicine: 5 percent
Pediatrics: 5 percent
Nurse practitioner: 5 percent
Geriatrics: 4 percent
Colon and rectal surgery: 1 percent
Endocrinology: 1 percent
Neurology: 1 percent
Obstetrics/gynecology: 1 percent
Ophthalmology: 1 percent
Physical medicine: 1 percent
Podiatry: 1 percent
Emergency medicine: -1 percent
Hematology/oncology: -1 percent
Interventional pain management: -1 percent
Nephrology: -1 percent
Neurosurgery: -1 percent
Orthopedic surgery: -1 percent
Cardiac surgery: -2 percent
Pathology: -2 percent
Thoracic surgery: -2 percent
Urology: -2 percent
Anesthesiology: -3 percent
Cardiology: -3 percent
Interventional radiology: -3 percent
Nuclear medicine: -3 percent
Vascular surgery: -3 percent
Radiology: -4 percent
Nurse anesthesiology: -4 percent
Radiation oncology: -14 percent
Specialties with no proposed increase or decrease in Medicare rates: allergy/immunology, critical care, dermatology, gastroenterology, general practice, general surgery, hand surgery, infectious disease, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, pulmonary disease, rheumatology and maxillofacial surgery.
More Articles on Physician Compensation:
4 Critical Success Factors for Building Productivity-Based Compensation Models
Society of General Internal Medicine Forms Physician Pay Reform Panel
AMA’s Physician Pay Committee Adds Two Seats for Primary Care
