The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) presented five procedure codes for valuation at the American Medical Association (AMA)/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) meeting Jan. 12–15. Three of the codes pertain to neuromuscular ultrasound and two relate to percutaneous arteriovenous fistula creation. Evaluation and management codes related to inpatient and observation care services and inpatient consultations, and prolonged services were also presented.
The ACR was represented on the panel by William Donovan, MD, MPH, FACR, the radiology RUC member, and Kurt Schoppe, MD, the alternate radiology RUC member. Michael Booker, MD, RUC advisor for the Radiological Society of North America, represented radiology on the practice expense subcommittee. Lauren Golding, MD, is the ACR RUC advisor, and Andrew Moriarity, MD, is the ACR alternate RUC advisor.
The time and value recommendations approved by the RUC were based on multispecialty survey data collected in November and December. Dr. Moriarity took the lead in presenting the neuromuscular ultrasound codes.
All discussions at the RUC are confidential. The AMA will forward the RUC’s time and value recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for review and inclusion in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. CMS is not required to accept the RUC’s recommendations and may propose their own times and values for the codes.
If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Le, ACR Director of Economic Policy.