The American Medical Association (AMA)/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) held its first hybrid virtual and in-person meeting April 27–29. Advisors and staff of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) attended in person.
Lauren Nicola, MD, the ACR RUC advisor, and Andrew Moriarity, MD, the ACR alternate RUC advisor, presented several radiology action plans. William Donovan, MD, MPH, FACR, the radiology RUC member, and Kurt Schoppe, MD, the alternate radiology RUC member, represented radiology on the panel. Michael Booker, MD, RUC advisor for the Radiological Society of North America, represented radiology on the Practice Expense Subcommittee. ACR guest Greg Nicola, MD, FACR, attended the meeting in person, while guests Bibb Allen Jr., MD, FACR; Cindy Yuan, MD; and Elizabeth Levin, MD, observed the meeting virtually.
Action plans were submitted to the AMA’s Relativity Assessment Workgroup, which meets during the RUC and has historic screens that have led to such action as the revaluation of codes by the RUC, educational coding articles and also the bundling of CPT codes in the past (such as CT abdomen and pelvis). The action plans presented by the ACR included endovascular revascularization, venous procedures, cryoablation of pulmonary tumors, diagnostic bone marrow aspiration and bone biopsy, and breast tomosynthesis.
Evaluation and management codes related to advance care planning and transitional care management were also addressed.
Discussions at the RUC meeting are confidential. The codes presented at this RUC meeting will be addressed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Le, ACR Director of Economic Policy.