Changes to 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to Impact Nurses' Practice

December 28, 2018

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Nov. 23 published the Calendar Year 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule that contains several policy, payment, and quality provisions changes, effective Jan. 1, 2019, or later. This final rule contains several policies that will impact RNs and APRNs in their practice settings; several of these policy changes reflect ANA's recommendations in its August 2018 comment letter to CMS regarding the proposed rule. 

ANA believes that the policy changes will reduce documentation burden for APRNs who bill Medicare without negatively impacting patient outcomes. These changes also will allow APRNs to provide more efficient care using telehealth and communication technology-based services, meeting patients where they are and encouraging preventive and primary care usage.

Read a full summary of changes that CMS will implement through this rule.