CMS has issued a final rule that includes update payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after Jan. 1, 2019 (CY 2019). The 2019 physician fee schedule conversion factor is $36.04, which is up from $35.99 this year and reflects a budget-neutrality adjustment required by law. CMS finalized several coding and payment changes aimed at reducing administrative burden and improving payment accuracy for evaluation and management visits. For more details, see today’s second Financial Feature.