Physician payment for 2007: a description of the process by which major changes in valuation of cardiothoracic surgical procedures occurred.

Throughout the last 3 years, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has put forth a major effort towards more accurate valuation of the work performed by cardiothoracic surgeons. The culmination of these efforts was realized on November 1, 2006, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the Final Rule which markedly increased the physician work values for the most frequently performed cardiothoracic surgery procedures. This article recounts the innovative approach taken by the STS during these extended efforts.