Society Urges CMS to Allow Split/Shared Visits based on Time/Medical Decision-Making
Last week, the Society joined the American Medical Association and other national specialty societies in urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to propose an alternate policy in the calendar year 2023 Medicare Physician Payment Schedule proposed rule that allows physicians or qualified health-care professionals (QHPs) to bill split or shared visits based on time of medical decision-making. Current policy stated that beginning in 2023 “only the physician or QHP who performs more than 50 percent of the time of the total visit can bill the split or shared visit.” The groups noted that this policy “would drastically disrupt team-based care and interfere with the way care is delivered in the facility setting.”
“We strongly urge CMS not to disrupt team-based care in the facility setting and to revise the split or shared visit policy to allow the physician or QHP who is managing and overseeing the patient’s care to bill for the service. We look forward to providing additional input,” the letter stated.