RUC: The Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) advisory seat allows ASNR to be part of the valuation process for each procedure, and have input into other society value proposals as well as to develop and present value recommendations for any new codes utilized by neuroradiologists. ASNR was the primary society to survey and develop value recommendations for the fMRI imaging codes and participated in the discussions and negotiations during the RUC process.

The RUC advisory seat allows ASNR to participate in the congressionally mandated five-year reviews of code values. Every five years CMS selects a set of codes for review by the RUC in order to determine whether the values of the procedures have changed. CMS chooses codes that it believes may be overvalued. Societies with a seat on the advisory board can conduct surveys of their members and present their own findings and value recommendations. Neuroradiology did not lose value for any codes during the last review. However, given the pressures on the health care system, CMS is always looking to cut costs. It is crucial that relative value decisions are based on the best information. For neuroradiology codes, this will require ASNR participation. If the ASNR is not represented during the next five-year review, other groups will be in charge of developing value recommendations for neuroradiology codes.
RUC: (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/medicare/the-resource-based-relative-value-scale/the-rvs-update-committee.page).