What Is Rvu In Medical Billing

Basically relative value units rvus is a standard set by medicare to determine the amount to pay doctors depending on their productivity.

What is rvu in medical billing.

This is standard regardless of the cpt code. In medical billing patients or insurance companies submit claims to assist in reimbursement. The services offered by the doctor are calculated using the rvu so as to pay him her for the services. The importance of rvus work rvus are the most frequently utilized component of the resource based relative value scale rbrvs.

Rvus are part of rbrvs resource based relative value scale. There are several factors that affect the amount that will actually be reimbursed. This measure of value is based on the extent of physician work clinical and nonclinical resources and expertise required to deliver the healthcare service to patients. Together they become the total rvu.

The wrvu then gets added to the other two rvus practice expenses and insurance. Every cpt code used in billing is assigned a specific wrvu. Here we are focusing on the physician work rvu. This reimbursement is dependent on rvus which stands for relative value units.

It is a number that defines the volume of work doctors perform when treating patients for all procedures and services covered under the physician fee schedule. The current conversion factor for 2020 is 36 0896. Rvu stands for relative value units. Physician work rvu including the time and clinical skill necessary to treat a patient during an encounter.

These are the measure of value for physician services used in us medicare. In a way the relative value units are used to define the volume of work performed by the doctor while providing medical care to patients. Relative value units in medical billing in medical billing claims are submitted to generate reimbursement and that reimbursement depends on relative value units. The purpose of rvu in medical billing is to determine the value of a doctor s productivity.

The three component rvus are. It is critical to medicare medicaid and commercial health insurance reimbursements. Rather rvus define the value of a service or procedure relative to all services and procedures. Medicare has established an rvu relative value unit for every cpt code to determine reimbursement amounts.

The rvu calculation results are based on the values supplied by cms in the 2020 national physician fee schedule relative value file. An rvu represents the total of three component rvus each of which is adjusted based on the geographic location in which a physician practices. Total rvu based compensation requires paying a doctor dependent on the type and amount of work they do in treating a patient. Rvus or relative value units do not directly define physician compensation in dollar amounts.