In an advocacy win for the payment of pathology technical component services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the proper rank order of the clinical labor rates for histotechnologists and laboratory technicians in the final 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on November 1. Because of the CAP’s advocacy, there will be more accurate payments for the technical component of pathology services in 2023.

Final Regulation Impact on Physician Payment

The final 2023 conversion factor used for the fee schedule’s payment formula is $33.0607, representing a 4.5% decrease from the final 2022 conversation factor.

This 4.5% decrease to the conversion factor accounts for the required update to the conversion factor for 2023 of 0%, the expiration of the 3% supplemental increase to PFS payments for 2022 as required by the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act, and the required budget neutrality adjustment to account for increases in physician payment for evaluation and management visits for hospital, nursing facility, home health and emergency patients. The CAP continues to aggressively lobby Congress to mitigate these cuts to pathologists for 2023.

Here is the final 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Impact Table.

In the final 2023 regulation, the CMS confirmed changes to the histotechnologist’s clinical labor rate, which would be priced in 2023 more than 21% higher than 2022. This would restore the proper rank order rates of a histotechnologist and a laboratory technician from what the CMS had altered in 2022. Additionally, the laboratory tech/histotechnologist blended rate will be priced more than 18% greater in 2022 than in 2023. These specific changes advocated for by the CAP provide a more accurate payment for pathology services.

What Will Be the Impact of the Final Fee Schedule on Your Practice?

CAP members can learn more about the final fee schedule changes by attending a complimentary webinar on December 5 at 3 PM ET/ 2 PM CT where experts will review the final 2023 Medicare regulations and their impact on payment for pathology services.

Register today