Summary

GAO reviewed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on Medicare physician fee schedules for calendar year 2003. GAO noted that (1) the rule revises the estimates used to establish the sustainable growth rates for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the purposes of determining future updates to the physician fee schedule, (2) the rule announces a 1.6-percent increase in the calendar year 2003 physician fee schedule conversion factor (CF) for March 1, 2003, to December 31, 2003, (3) the physician fee schedule CF from March 1, 2003, to December 31, 2003, with be $35.7856, (4) the anesthesia CF for this period will be $17.05, and (5) CMS complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.