Medicare Increases Payment Rates for Most Physicians
WASHINGTON-Physicians will receive an average 4.5% increase in Medicare payment rates in 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) announced. Increases will range from nothing to 12%, depending on specialty.
WASHINGTONPhysicians will receive an average 4.5% increase in Medicare payment rates in 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) announced. Increases will range from nothing to 12%, depending on specialty.
Those paid under the classification hematology/oncology will receive a 6% payment increase; radiation oncologists will get 3%; and internal medicine physicians, 5%. Neurosurgeons received 1%, general surgeons, 2%; and obstetricians/gynecologists and urologists each received 6%.
Medicare payments will vary for specific services because the agency is in the midst of implementing a new payment system for physician practice expenses based on the resources involved in treating patients rather than on physician’s historical charges.
![“Everyone—patients, doctors—we all want the same thing. We want [patients] to live longer,” said Kiran Turaga, MD, MPH, on patients with peritoneal surface malignancies.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F0vv8moc6%2Fcancernetwork%2F9b290688648a249e516474c175a3c06309426d15-2950x1568.png%3Ffit%3Dcrop%26auto%3Dformat&w=3840&q=30 "“Everyone—patients, doctors—we all want the same thing. We want [patients] to live longer,” said Kiran Turaga, MD, MPH, on patients with peritoneal surface malignancies.")
