Fee Schedule Changes to Save $27M, Specialists and Hospitals Take Brunt

An update to North Carolina's medical fee schedules that will be phased in starting next month is expected to produce $27 million in annual savings for employers and insurers, but that pain won't be spread evenly across the health care sector. A cost analysis by the National Council on Compensation Insurance shows that hospitals and specialists will take the brunt of the fee cuts starting in April, while physical medicine providers and general practitioners will actually see some handsome price increases starting in July. The Legislature's Rules Review Commission approved the fee...