20 C.F.R. § 10.807 How are payments for particular services calculated?
Title 20 - Employees' Benefits
Payment for a procedure identified by a HCPCS/CPT code shall not exceed the amount derived by multiplying the relative values for that procedure by the geographic indices for services in that area and by the dollar amount assigned to one unit in that category of service. (a) The “locality” which serves as a basis for the determination of average cost is defined by the Bureau of Census Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The Director shall base the determination of the relative per capita cost of medical care in a locality using information about enrollment and medical cost per county, provided by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). (b) The Director shall assign the relative value units (RVUs) published by HCFA to all services for which HCFA has made assignments, using the most recent revision. Where there are no RVUs assigned to a procedure, the Director may develop and assign any RVUs that he or she considers appropriate. The geographic adjustment factor shall be that designated by Geographic Practice Cost Indices for Metropolitan Statistical Areas as devised for HCFA and as updated or revised by HCFA from time to time. The Director will devise conversion factors for each category of service, and in doing so may adapt HCFA conversion factors as appropriate using OWCP's processing experience and internal data. (c) For example, if the unit values for a particular surgical procedure are 2.48 for physician's work (W), 3.63 for practice expense (PE), and 0.48 for malpractice insurance (M), and the dollar value assigned to one unit in that category of service (surgery) is $61.20, then the maximum allowable charge for one performance of that procedure is the product of the three RVUs times the corresponding geographical indices for the locality times the conversion factor. If the geographic indices for the locality are 0.988(W), 0.948 (PE), and 1.174 (M), then the maximum payment calculation is: [(2.48)(0.988) + (3.63)(0.948) + (0.48)(1.174)] × $61.20 [2.45 + 3.44 + .56] × $61.20 6.45 × $61.20 = $394.74
Title 20: Employees' Benefits
PART 10—CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION UNDER THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT, AS AMENDED
Subpart I—Information for Medical Providers
Medical Fee Schedule
§ 10.807 How are payments for particular services calculated?
