Payment, policy and coding proposals from the 2018 physician fee schedule proposed rule

Why This Topic Matters

The proposed changes touch multiple areas that affect Medicare reimbursement, reporting, and workflow. Readers working in physician billing or compliance need to know which policy updates may influence claims processing, documentation, and future coding guidance.

Article Sections

1. Payment proposals

   This section covers CMS payment-related proposals affecting physician fee schedule methodology, valuation reviews, and practice expense inputs. It also discusses several service categories and specialties under review.

2. Policy proposals

   This section summarizes broader policy updates related to telehealth, EHR incentive reporting, appropriate use criteria timing, and clinical laboratory fee schedule data collection. It focuses on proposed program and reporting changes rather than specific claim examples.

3. Coding proposals

   This section addresses coding-related rulemaking considerations for surgical codes and pre-service clinical time. It describes a potential future review of global-period coding structure.