TU-D-201-01: 2016 Economics Update

The purpose of this session is to introduce attendees to the healthcare reimbursement system and how it applies to the clinical work of a medical physicist. This will include general information about the different categories of payers and payees, how work is described by CPT codes, and how various payers set values for this work in different clinical settings. 2016 is another year of significant changes to the payment system. This presentation will describe the work encompassed in these codes and will give attendees an overview of the changes for 2016 as they apply to radiation oncology. Finally, some insight into what can be expected during 2017 will be presented. This includes what information is typically released by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) during the year and how we as an organization respond. This will include ways members can interact with the AAPM professional economics committee and other resources members may find helpful. Learning objectives1) Basics of how Medicare is structured and how reimbursement rates are set.2) Basic understanding of proposed changes to the 2016 Medicare rules.3) Describe economics and policy resources that are available from the AAPM and how to interact with the professional economics committee.