Related Medical & Healthcare Calculators

How to Use the RVU Calculator

1. Enter RVU Components: Find the CPT code for the procedure you are calculating. Look up the corresponding Work, Practice Expense (PE), and Malpractice (MP) RVUs from the official CMS Physician Fee Schedule.
2. Enter GPCI Adjustments: Find the Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) values for your specific locality. Each component (Work, PE, MP) has its own GPCI adjuster.
3. Calculate: The calculator will apply the adjustments and sum the components to provide the Total RVU for that procedure in your area.

Understanding Relative Value Units (RVU)

A Relative Value Unit (RVU) is a measure of value used in the United States Medicare reimbursement formula for physician services. It is a system for quantifying the complexity, time, skill, and resources required to perform a medical service. The final reimbursement amount is calculated by multiplying the Total RVU by a monetary conversion factor.

The Total RVU is comprised of three main components:

• Work RVU (wRVU): Represents the provider's work, including the time, skill, effort, and stress involved. This is the "physician" component.
• Practice Expense RVU (peRVU): Covers the overhead costs of the practice, such as rent, equipment, supplies, and non-physician staff salaries.
• Malpractice RVU (mpRVU): Accounts for the cost of professional liability insurance premiums.

The Role of the GPCI

The Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) is used to adjust the RVU components to reflect regional differences in the cost of practicing medicine. For example, the cost of rent and staff salaries is much higher in New York City than in a rural town, so the Practice Expense (PE) GPCI will be higher for NYC.