Medicare Reimburses More for Procedural Care Than Cognitive Care

Medicare reimburses physicians three to five times more for common procedural care, such as colonoscopies and cataract extractions, than for cognitive services that conserve costs and promote population health, according to a study published online in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Researchers conducted an observational, analytical study comparing the hourly revenue generated by a physician performing cognitive services with that generated by physicians performing screening colonoscopies or cataract extractions for Medicare beneficiaries.

The study found that revenue for physician time spent on screening colonoscopies and cataract extractions was 368 percent and 486 percent, respectively, of the revenue for a similar amount of physician time spent on cognitive care.

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