Opinion & Special Articles: neurologist: specialized primary care provider vs consultant

As per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) current proposal, many specialties including neurology are not eligible for the increase in Medicare reimbursements that will be allocated to other cognitive specialties, such as the 7% increase for family physicians, 5% for internists, and 4% for geriatric specialists.(1,2) Other specialties such as anesthesiology, radiology, and cardiology are scheduled for a 3%-4% decrease in reimbursement in order to pay for the increases outlined above. Current estimates show that neurologists provide a significant amount of primary care for complex patients and yet these services are not eligible for increased payments. It is estimated that up to 60% of neurologists' services to these complex patients are ineligible for increased payments.(3.)