The relative value units are of prime importance in the World of medical billing. They are concerned with the value that a medical practitioner offers to patients or clients. Also referred to as factor compensation, RVUs are the indicators that define the actual worth of the medical treatment offered.
In simple words, the Relative Value Units are used in calculating the reimbursement connected to the medical services provided by healthcare practitioners. The common name used for the healthcare practitioners in this regard is the HCPs, healthcare providers.
History Associated With RVUs Development
Medicare expenditures are extensive and intense. At times, they are so detailed that the reimbursement rates offered to the primary healthcare providers are not even half of the value served to the clients. This was realized by the healthcare providers in the 1980s, and the need to come up with a better level of compensation system was recognized. This is when RVUs were developed. The RVUs system replaced the HCP system and offered a better provision of payment to the practitioners. The previous method was known as the CPR system, the Medicare customary, a prevailing and reasonable system of charging the cost of medical procedures.
CPT Codes and RVUs
To extend the concept further, it is pertinent to mention that the current procedural terminology code that HCP bills get a particular RVU. As soon as the CPT code gets billed, the RVU is able to determine the amount needed to reimburse. As a matter of fact, compensating for the medical procedure gets tough and complex as it asks for varied levels of calculation, adjustments, and management.
Incorporating HCPs in RVUs
The real task here is to use relative value units in the HCP system, which in itself requires extensive management. What makes it so complicated is the amount of skill it takes for one to add the elements of RVUs to the HCP system. It also requires time and training to complete the task effectively. Patients that go through a complex system of medical treatment get to showcase the high worth of RVU compared to those who get medical treatments of normal complexity. Taking care of the patients and ensuring extensive treatment is offered to them is what the whole RVU model is based on, rather than counting the total number of patients that a medical practitioner gives treatment and services to.
There are numerous manners through which practitioners use the RVU system. Some of them include:
a. Calculation Of Reimbursements
This is probably the most important benefit associated with the RVU system. It aids in the calculation of reimbursement of some crucial procedures. Mostly, these are the procedures that are extremely critical and need extensive care for the patients.
b. Utilization Allocation
With the help of the RVU system, it gets possible for medical practitioners to measure the accurate utilization allocation, which otherwise is not a possibility. This way, the reimbursement calculation keeps all the associated factors of the treatment aligned with the final billing process.
c. Cost Benchmarking
A critical element of billing that was not a part of the previous system of medical billing is cost benchmarking. Performing cost benchmarking becomes a possibility in the RVC system, which makes it an efficient system to adopt.
d. Performance Analytics
With the help of the RVC system, the billing team can measure and evaluate the performance annalistic associated with the parties connected to the overall system including the medical practitioners and the payer.
Calculating the Relative Value Units
The whole procedure of making calculations in the RVUs system requires the usage of certain formulas. Here, the three basic formulas that will efficiently be used by the company you choose for the outsourced billing services include:
a. Geographic practice cost indices
As the name suggests, the Geographic practice cost indices, also known as GPCI, perform the function of adjusting the cost differences across varied geographical locations. It takes into account the distinct market conditions associated with the geographical areas and the business costs attached to them. This doesn’t only help in maintaining appropriate payment methods for each area but also reduces the chances of overpayment.
b. Conversion Factor
Also referred to as CF, the conversion factor is the dollar amount connected to each RVU. This formula considered the economic state of the country and then associates the Medicare beneficiaries with it. Each country has certain economic limitations and the RVUs system considers them while chalking out the billing procedure.
c. Total Relative Value Units
The last but most crucial part of the formula is the total RVUs. This includes three factors such as practice expense, work RVU, and malpractice RVU. These three types of RVU are crucial to consider before coming up with the exact and last value of RVU. As a matter of fact, the practice expense talks about the clinical as well as non-clinical expenses and the cost associated with them. The inclusion of equipment and office supplies is also a part of it.
Flaws Associated With The RVUs System
Though this system is extensive and gives a detailed assessment of the treatment offered to the patient, it also has some flaws associated with it. While showcasing the exact and extensive work that the HCP has performed, this system requires capturing all the administrative tasks minutely. Hence, it takes more time and effort; for each patient, it adds up to as much as two additional hours while assessing the overall cost. This is why a lot of practitioners prefer opting for external medical billing services that will use accurate CPT codes and get things done on time.
If you are looking for the best medical billing company that will take the burden of extensive medical treatment assessment and its billing while using the relative values units system, it’s high time you should fix an appointment with Zee Medical Billing. For that, all you would have to do is to make a call at +1 224-999-6997 and things will be done instantly!
