What Is An Rvu In Radiology

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What is an rvu in radiology. The importance of rvus work rvus are the most frequently utilized component of the resource based relative value scale rbrvs. The term relative value units or rvu is used frequently these days in a variety of contexts. Understanding the value of rvus in radiology. The rvu calculation results are based on the values supplied by cms in the 2020 national physician fee schedule relative value file.
Knowing how to calculate rvus is an important part of paying physicians fairly. 7500 security boulevard baltimore md 21244. Other calculators exist such as urology rvu calculators and rvu calculators for radiology. Basically they evaluate doctor productivity.
Rvus form the basis for payment of physician fees by medicare and other payers and they can be used to measure physician productivity for a variety of purposes. Most of the cost workload of the rvu relates to physician work and practice expense. It can measure the productivity of physicians for various purposes. Rvu stands for relative value unit which is the measure of value that is used in the united states to calculate a reimbursement formula for a physician s services.
Rvus or relative value units do not directly define physician compensation in dollar amounts. Rvus are part of rbrvs resource based relative value scale. Rvus are the basic component of the resource based relative value scale rbrvs which is a methodology used by the centers for medicare medicaid services cms and private payers to determine physician payment. In earlier times physicians charged their patients whatever was customary and there was broad disparity from doctor to doctor.
The mpfs is funded by part b and is composed of resource costs associated with physician work practice expense and professional liability insurance. Rvu stands for relative value units. Under the mpfs each of these three elements is assigned a relative value unit rvu for each current procedural terminology cpt code. Rvu s are used in part of the resource based relative value scale rbrvs.
The rbrvs measures the resources used to provide each service by ranking it on a common scale. Rvu is the shortened version of relative value units and these are what physician charges for medicare medicaid and most insurance payers are based upon. What are relative value units rvus. These are the measure of value for physician services used in us medicare.