Which item is included in RVU calculations?

Which item is included in RVU calculations?

• A. Work RVU
• B. Geography and health system
• C. All of the above
• D. Hospital overhead

Answer: (C)

RVU calculations are built from three base components that reflect different cost drivers: the work involved in providing the service, the practice expenses required to deliver it (including overhead), and the professional liability costs. The total RVU for a service is the sum of these three components. Each RVU component is then adjusted by a geographic practice cost index to account for cost differences across locations and health-system settings. Because of this structure, work RVU is included, overhead is captured in the practice expense RVU, and geographic adjustments affect the overall RVU. So all of these elements are included in RVU calculations.

RVU calculations are built from three base components that reflect different cost drivers: the work involved in providing the service, the practice expenses required to deliver it (including overhead), and the professional liability costs. The total RVU for a service is the sum of these three components. Each RVU component is then adjusted by a geographic practice cost index to account for cost differences across locations and health-system settings. Because of this structure, work RVU is included, overhead is captured in the practice expense RVU, and geographic adjustments affect the overall RVU. So all of these elements are included in RVU calculations.