PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Hirsch, Joshua A AU - Silva, Ezequiel AU - Nicola, Gregory N AU - Barr, Robert M AU - Bello, Jacqueline A AU - Manchikanti, Laxmaiah AU - Donovan, William D TI - The RUC: a primer for neurointerventionalists AID - 10.1136/neurintsurg-2012-010636 DP - 2014 Jan 01 TA - Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery PG - 61--64 VI - 6 IP - 1 4099 - http://jnis.bmj.com/content/6/1/61.short 4100 - http://jnis.bmj.com/content/6/1/61.full SO - J NeuroIntervent Surg2014 Jan 01; 6 AB - The Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) plays a critical role in determining physician payment. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) transitioned to paying physicians based on the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale, the American Medical Association developed this unique multispecialty committee. Physicians at the RUC determine the resources required to provide physician services and recommend appropriate payment for those services. The RUC then submits its recommendations to CMS. Physicians have thus been important in determining relative value and hence payment for the services they provide.