CMS retroactively updated the Professional Liability Insurance Relative Value Units for several Medicare procedures, which will have a positive impact on spine surgeons, according to an announcement from the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.
The agency increased RVUs by 0.5 to 1.5 RVUs for select procedures, including:
1. Arthrodesis procedures
2. Total disc replacement
3. Revision total disc replacement
4. Anterior discectomy
5. Laminectomy
6. Vertebral corpectomy
7. Meningocele repair
For an extended list of relevant spine procedure codes, click here. ISASS listed 41 procedure codes in all that experienced a positive RVU adjustment. CMS updated the payment for claims from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2019, as well as retroactively for claims payed beginning Jan. 1, 2019; providers can connect with local Medicare Administrator Contractors for the retroactive payments.