What Is An Rvu Worth

Basically relative value units rvus is a standard set by medicare to determine the amount to pay doctors depending on their productivity.

What is an rvu worth. It is a number that defines the volume of work doctors perform when treating patients for all procedures and services covered under the physician fee schedule. The geographically adjusted rvus are then multiplied by a conversion factor that converts the rvu into a dollar amount which determines the price that medicare or the hmo pays. The use of rvus to valuate medical services reformed healthcare payment systems. Originally created as the principle unit of the rbrvs for cms rvus became the foundation of the medicare physician fee schedule mpfs as well as the basis of most commercial fee schedules.

One rvu is worth 35 8887 for 2017 according to this ama site. The three rvus for a given service are each multiplied by a unique geographic practice cost index referred to as the gpci adjustment. Being able to calculate rvus is an essential part of ensuring that physicians in a practice are paid accurately and fairly. By entering the appropriate code and number of units associated with it you will receive the total work rvus and individual work rvu value for that code.

2018 rvu calculator mgma pensation and ion survey median gross charges for u s hospital census u s physicians dollars per rvu by specialty 2016 statistawork rvu pensation models best rate determination hsg advisorsphysicians work rvu by specialty u s. These resources include the physician s work the expenses of the. Total rvus medicare 2020 physician fee schedule cpt code descriptors 2019 2020 final change from 2019 to 2020 92537 caloric vstblr test w rec bithermal 1 16 1 18 2 practice expense 0 53 0 56 6 professional component 0 90 0 practice expense pc 0 28 0 29 4 technical component 0 26 0 28 8 practice expense tc 0 25 0 27 8 physician. These three rvu factors are then multiplied by a geographical adjustment that creates the compensation level for the service in that exact location.

For each service a payment formula contains three rvus one for physician work one for practice expense and one for malpractice expense on average the proportion of costs for medicare are 52 44 and 4 respectively. Relative value units rvus january 12 2015 medicare uses a physician fee schedule to determine payments for over 7 500 physician services. Prior to the implementation of the rbrvs in 1992 physicians set charge rates for the medical care they provided to patients. This rvu conversion factor is in effect from january 1 2016 through.

The work rvu calculator provides quick analysis of work relative value units associated with cpt and hcpcs level ii codes. 77 of public and private payers are utilizing the rvu system first developed for medicare.