While the calculations may seem a bit tedious, knowing how to calculate RVU values is critical if you are going to apply them to any other applications. For fee scheduling, cost accounting, physician productivity, even for compliance risk, every practice should be prepared to create their own RBRVS analysis and understand what the results mean.
Frank Cohen is director of analytics and business intelligence for DoctorsManagement. He is a healthcare consultant who specializes in data mining, applied statistics, practice analytics, decision support, and process improvement. E-mail him here. Spotlight: Career. July 1, Frank Cohen. Author disclosure: nothing to disclose. Send comments to fpmedit aafp.
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Read the Issue. Sign Up Now. Previous article. Electronic Health Reco Apr Issue. What's the difference? What can be done? I also have these suggestions: Examine your payers' fee schedules to confirm the problem use the spreadsheet that can be downloaded from the box. Discuss the problem with your insurers' provider relations representatives. Help to raise awareness of the problem among your colleagues and encourage them to be proactive.
Read the full article. Get immediate access, anytime, anywhere. For example, a surgical procedure will pay more than a typical checkup. The procedure can be intense and requires more time and specific skills.
Thus, it will generate a higher relative value unit. Several factors are involved in calculating the compensation amounts for doctors.
Others include skills and amount of time. The service codes range from to , and the lower the code, the less intense and involved the procedure. In WRVU, compensation is based on the activity of a doctor. This is especially the case if your hospital offers a sliding scale payment model. And that means that most of your colleagues will want to rack up as many as possible. Physicians are less likely to refer patients to other doctors and more likely to compete to gain new patients.
There is one other pitfall of wRVUs that many physicians dislike. In addition, wRVUs reward the volume of care, not the quality of care.
With the pressure to have more wRVUs, it can be tempting for some physicians to focus on quantity over quality. One of the worst parts about wRVUs is the fact that some procedures get bundled together or discounted. This is often the case in bilateral procedures, where the wRVU for the second side of the body is less than that for the first side of the body. This also occurs when multiple procedures are done at the same time. No less work or time is required on the part of the physician, yet the second wRVU is often reduced.
Anything that alters the standard wRVU is called a modifier. Unfortunately, there are a variety of modifiers that can come into play. And this can be a tricky thing to do. Certain specialties have a limited amount of CPT codes, while other specialties have dozens to keep track of. The less you have to deal with, the easier it will be. The best way to keep track of yours is to review your patient visits and procedures at the end of each day. Write down all the codes you plan to bill for that day and check it against the record kept by your administration.
Also, make sure that your billing department is using the right codes. Providing CPT notes can help minimize discrepancies. Create an Excel spreadsheet and track your wRVUs per day. See also: Disability Insurance for Physicians. The RVU model is used mostly by large hospital groups and health systems. However, independent physicians can benefit by understanding what they are and tracking their own.
If your wRVUs are higher than average, it may be time to bring a new physician into your practice.
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