Date: 06/19/2003
Q:
I am physician starting a new OB/GYN practice and need to develop or download an
appropriate fee schedule for my practice. Where can I find this information?
A:
Fee schedules are generally unique to the individual practices. You need to set your fees so that
they are competitive, especially for those services that patients will be sensitive i.e.
office visits and obstetrical fees. For these you need to check with other OB/GYNs in your market
to determine what they are charging. For all other services they need to be at a level that you are
comfortable with, yet high enough so that you can maximize third party reimbursement.
There are generally two paths to establishing the balance of the fee schedule. You can use published data.
ADP/Context is widely accepted source of fee and coding information. They
can be contacted 800.783.3378 or www.adpcontext.com.
Alternately, many practices set theirs fees based on a multiple of the Medicare fee schedule.
Knowing which ADP/Context percentile or
Medicare multiple to use is the difficult part of setting fees. There are a number of issues to consider.
Russell B. Still
Executive Vice President
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