RUC Urges Medicare Compensation for Care Coordination

Registered nurses are leading providers of patient care coordination services, which Medicare does not currently reimburse. On October 10, the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to begin compensating Medicare providers for phone calls, patient education, and managing chronic conditions. ANA’s former advisor to the RUC Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee, Katherine Bradley, PhD, RN, was appointed to the Chronic Care Coordination Workgroup formed by the RUC and CPT (Current Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel). RUC Chair Dr. Barbara Levy said the Workgroup “will make further recommendations to CMS on long-term improvements” for recognizing the value of “patient care coordination and the prevention and maintenance of chronic diseases.” CMS could adopt new policy in the upcoming Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, effective January 2012. For more information, visit: www.ama-assn.org/go/carecoordination.