To ensure seniors retain access to quality patient care, 46 U.S. senators recently urged Senate leadership to address impending Medicare cuts to healthcare providers before the end of the year. The bipartisan effort, led by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and John Barrasso, MD (R-WY), was in response to the work of an American College of Radiology® (ACR®)-orchestrated physician and non-physician provider coalition and the Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN)
The letter addresses the need for both short- and long-term Medicare physician payment reform by acknowledging Congress’ recent efforts to stabilize the Medicare physician payment system via payment adjustments to the Medicare conversion factor for calendar years 2021 and 2022 and supporting future bipartisan and fiscally responsible solutions
Without congressional action, Medicare providers face an approximately 8.5% across-the-board Medicare reimbursement reduction in 2023. These impending cuts result from the expiration of the 3% congressional payment adjustment for 2022, statutorily required budget neutrality adjustments within the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and the implementation of legislative pay-as-you-go rules (PAYGO)
The RAN disseminated two calls to action, one directed to the House and a second one to the Senate. ACR members sent more than 6,380 letters to House and Senate members asking for their support to mediate 2023 cuts. Both of these alerts helped bring attention to these cuts and garner support from members of Congress.
ACR continues to lead on this issue and will provide updates as the cuts grow near. For more information, please contact Rebecca Spangler, ACR Senior Government Affairs Director.