Table 1.

The Government Accountability Office recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

In “Medicare Physician Payment Rates: Better Data and Greater Transparency Could Improve Accuracy,” the Government Accountability Office (5) recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
“Better document the process for establishing relative values for Medicare physicians’ services, including the methods used to review RUC recommendations and the rationale for final relative value decisions”
“Develop a process for informing the public of potentially misvalued services identified by the RUC, as CMS already does for potentially misvalued services identified by CMS or other stakeholders”
“Incorporate data and expertise from physicians and other relevant stakeholders into the process as well as develop a timeline and plan for using the funds appropriated by [the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014]”

RUC, Relative Value Scale Update Committee; CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.