Insights on OBGYN Coding & Reimbursements w/ Dr. Barbara Levy | BackTable OBGYN Ep. 55

Summary for practice owners

Dr. Barbara Levy explains how medical coding and reimbursement decisions are made, with a focus on OB-GYN procedures and practice economics. The discussion traces the work of specialty societies, coding committees and the groups that review and value services. It describes how a new code can move from an application through review and survey, then into a valuation process that considers physician work and practice expense. The result affects what practices are paid and how services are represented within the reimbursement system.

For owners, a useful distinction is between work RVUs and practice expense. The latter reflects costs such as staff and equipment, plus office space, and those costs vary by specialty and setting. The speakers explain that a procedure performed in an office may be reimbursed differently from one provided in a facility because the payment structure includes different costs. They also discuss budget neutrality, which means that new values can affect the broader set of codes in a service family. Accurate information about time and volume, along with resources therefore matters when surveys inform valuations.

The episode makes clear that coding is an ongoing policy and advocacy process, not simply a billing task performed after a visit. Specialty participation can help identify gaps and explain the resources involved in women’s health services. For practice owners, the operational takeaway is to understand the components behind payment, document the work and costs accurately, and follow changes that affect office based procedures. The conversation also shows how professional societies can bring specialty expertise into the committees that shape coding and reimbursement.

Owner takeaways

• 12:16 Specialty committees review applications for new procedure codes and identify possible coding gaps.
• 14:24 Code review considers evidence and how widely a service is performed before valuation.
• 20:47 The speakers describe physician work RVUs in terms of time and intensity.
• 21:52 Total procedure RVUs include work and practice expense components.
• 39:59 Office based procedures include costs such as space and staff, plus equipment in the payment structure.

Why it made the list

This episode explains the coding and reimbursement process behind OB-GYN practice revenue, including office versus facility economics. It has 754 views and 8 likes.

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This video is published by BackTable Women's Health on YouTube. Obstetricians.com is not affiliated with the creator, and inclusion is not an endorsement by either party. Watch it on YouTube.