Physician reimbursement under Medicare

Payment for physician services in the United States is directly tied to the payment system implemented in the Medicare system. The use of a code to categorize medical and surgical services, as well as a relative value system to assess physician services and reimburse them accordingly, is now well established. In light of this, it is important for physicians to possess knowledge of how this coding and reimbursement system was established, how it is updated, what means are available to modify it, and how it is used in practice. The author addresses these issues, offering a primer for the neurosurgeon on the Medicare system as it relates to physician payment.