TY - JOUR
T1 - Medicare payments to the neurology workforce in 2012
AU - Skolarus, Lesli E.
AU - Burke, James F.
AU - Callaghan, Brian C.
AU - Becker, Amanda
AU - Kerber, Kevin A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Academy of Neurology.
PY - 2015/4/28
Y1 - 2015/4/28
N2 - Objective: Little is known about how neurology payments vary by service type (i.e., evaluation and management [E/M] vs tests/treatments) and compare to other specialties, yet this information is necessary to help neurology define its position on proposed payment reform. Methods: Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data from 2012 were used. These data included all direct payments to providers who care for fee-for-service Medicare recipients. Total payment was determined by medical specialty and for various services (e.g., E/M, EEG, electromyography/nerve conduction studies, polysomnography) within neurology. Payment and proportion of services were then calculated across neurologists' payment categories. Results: Neurologists comprised 1.5% (12,317) of individual providers who received Medicare payments and were paid $1.15 billion by Medicare in 2012. Sixty percent ($686 million) of the Medicare payment to neurologists was for E/M, which was a lower proportion than primary providers (approximately 85%) and higher than surgical subspecialties (range 9%-51%). The median neurologist received nearly 75% of their payments from E/M. Two-thirds of neurologists received 60% or more of their payment from E/M services and over 20% received all of their payment from E/M services. Neurologists in the highest payment category performed more services, of which a lower proportion were E/M, and performed at a facility, compared to neurologists in lower payment categories. Conclusion: E/M is the dominant source of payment to the majority of neurologists and should be prioritized by neurology in payment restructuring efforts.
AB - Objective: Little is known about how neurology payments vary by service type (i.e., evaluation and management [E/M] vs tests/treatments) and compare to other specialties, yet this information is necessary to help neurology define its position on proposed payment reform. Methods: Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data from 2012 were used. These data included all direct payments to providers who care for fee-for-service Medicare recipients. Total payment was determined by medical specialty and for various services (e.g., E/M, EEG, electromyography/nerve conduction studies, polysomnography) within neurology. Payment and proportion of services were then calculated across neurologists' payment categories. Results: Neurologists comprised 1.5% (12,317) of individual providers who received Medicare payments and were paid $1.15 billion by Medicare in 2012. Sixty percent ($686 million) of the Medicare payment to neurologists was for E/M, which was a lower proportion than primary providers (approximately 85%) and higher than surgical subspecialties (range 9%-51%). The median neurologist received nearly 75% of their payments from E/M. Two-thirds of neurologists received 60% or more of their payment from E/M services and over 20% received all of their payment from E/M services. Neurologists in the highest payment category performed more services, of which a lower proportion were E/M, and performed at a facility, compared to neurologists in lower payment categories. Conclusion: E/M is the dominant source of payment to the majority of neurologists and should be prioritized by neurology in payment restructuring efforts.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929093485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84929093485&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001515
DO - 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001515
M3 - Article
C2 - 25832665
AN - SCOPUS:84929093485
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 84
SP - 1796
EP - 1802
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 17
ER -