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Medicare: Information on geographic adjustments to physician payments for physicians' time, skills, and effort : report to congressional requesters
Medicare: Information on geographic adjustments to physician payments for physicians' time, skills, and effort : report to congressional requesters
Why GAO did this study. Legislative modifications to the work GPCI have been made over the years. Specifically, the work GPCI has been modified to limit the range in the work GPCI values to one-quarter, and to apply a temporary floor to raise the work GPCI value to the national average for localities with values below it. The temporary floor will be applied through the end of 2023. GAO was asked to review several aspects of the work GPCI used for Medicare physician payments. Among other objectives, this report describes the effect of hypothetical modifications to the work GPCI on physician payments across localities and the characteristics of localities affected; and the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings. GAO analyzed several data sources from CMS, including summary physician payment data for 2018, which was the most recent full year data available. GAO also developed a model and analyzed data from the Census Bureau, and IRS from 2012 through 2018. The Department of Health and Human Services provided technical comments on a draft of this report, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.
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