The Trump administration on Friday finalized a controversial plan to reevaluate how Medicare calculates doctor payments that will result in lower rates for specialty services. Medicare will implement a 2.5% cut next year to payments for services like radiology and gastroenterology that are based on more than time spent delivering the service. The rule is based on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' argument that these procedures and tasks are being done more efficiently than the old payment rate reflects. Meanwhile, primary care doctors and other providers will generally see an increase in their Medicare payment next year. The rule moves Medicare away from setting billing code reimbursement based on surveys by an AMA-affiliated committee that ask providers about the time, intensity and expense of different medical services. Overall, physicians will see a 3.77% bump in Medicare payments if they agree to be paid based on patient outcomes. Other doctors will get a 3.26% increase. This includes a 2.5% one-year increase Congress passed in July as part of the GOP tax and spending bill.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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