Summary:  It's that time of year again. The government has released its massive proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and it contains more disappointing news relative to anesthesia and ancillary reimbursement.Some suggestions can be rather upsetting, and some recommendations can be downright discouraging. Such is the case for the...

SummaryIt's not getting any easier for anesthesiologists and anesthetists who provide services in pain clinics. Medicare recently released a new policy that will make it more difficult to get paid in facet intervention cases.From the crease of the valley below, you can see the degree of the slope just ahead. The walk thus far has been at either a l...

A veteran of the armed forces recently remarked that, in order to be an effective fighting force, a military unit needs some to operate weapons and others to peel potatoes. Both groups are equally critical, though one may seem more glamourous in the eyes of others. "An army marches on its stomach," is a well-known maxim that makes the same point. C...

When the Medicare program was established, a decision was made to implement a payment methodology that had been developed by Blue Shield. For each case submitted, an allowable would be determined based on the base value and the time units billed for the case. Actual payment to the provider would be reduced by two factors: an annual deductible and a...

Everyone likes getting a deal. Our eyes are drawn to ads touting the "lowest prices in town" or "half off on everything in stock" or "get two for the price of one." We humans are hardwired to go after a bargain. It not only saves precious financial resources, but it gives us an internal sense of our own shrewdness. Most businesses are all too happy...