The finalized version of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2023 has been published. While it does not contain a large number of changes for the anesthesia community, there are a few changes that may significantly impact our readers in the new year. Three of these are detailed in today's alert.The yearly ritual begins. No, it's not the one tha...

Summary: Anesthesia is entering a transitory period where the reliance on negotiations with insurance companies as the sole path to profitability is no longer the sure strategy it once was. New realities have set in, and new solutions must be considered. Imperiled ProfitabilityHistorically, the ability to negotiate favorable contract rates has bee...

Summary: Billing for all the services performed by anesthesia providers is a massive undertaking. A myriad of rules and requirements must be absorbed and implemented. Today's article provides examples of why the anesthesia specialty is like no other. The once renowned Harvard economist, John Kenneth Galbraith, wrote that anyone who thinks writing ...

Summary: The federal government has recently opened up the independent dispute resolution process for out-of-network providers who are unhappy with their reimbursement for services. Specific instructions are provided in this alert for beginning this process.Such crises don't often occur; but, when they do, it's good to have a workable resoluti...

Summary: It should come as no surprise to our readers that reimbursement for Medicare services has been going in the wrong direction. That trend will not be reversed in 2022. This and other items arising from the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule are discussed in today's alert. On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Medicare &...