Importance of PPIS Data for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Adjustments
The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Practice Information Survey (PPIS) is sent out to radiology practices and other specialties to collect practice cost information and hours spent in direct patient care. This information is shared with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is then used to help update the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) and Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS). Overall, this process will significantly impact the annual Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).
The last PPIS data for radiology was collected in 2007, and only 105 radiology practices participated. Of those responding, only 21 practices filled out the entire survey and validated they had direct practice expenses. The data collected is considerably outdated and needs to be current to represent costs for physicians in practices.
The AMA has contracted with an independent research and analytics firm, Mathematica, to conduct the current PPIS, including the timelines involved in data collection and analysis; sample size, including data sets to represent a mix of specialties; reporting and use of data; and communication to prospective participants. This survey has been promoted since June 2023.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) is one of 173 medical groups recommending its members participate in the PPIS to ensure the data collected will accurately represent their practices, patients and profession. In a statement, the ACR urged members whose practices were selected to participate in the PPIS to complete the survey as soon as they receive it, as the end of June deadline is quickly approaching. The ACR also provided Mathematica’s email for members to obtain the survey link.
