Generalists like Dr. W. are assigned RVUs primarily according to the complexity of their exams and treatment plans, which are coded on a scale of levels 1 to 5. A simple level 2 visit may yield $60; level 3, $120; level 4, $210; and so on. “What started to happen is lots of pinkeye was billed at a level 4,” he explained. “It may not sound like much—but it adds up.” There was financial incentive: colleagues who were coding expansively could make twice as much—over $300,000 instead of $170,000.
