The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) and its growing coalition of physician and non-physician provider groups, including the American Medical Association, have made tremendous strides towards stopping the significant reimbursement reductions associated with the implementation of the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluation and management (E/M) policy slated to go in effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Hundreds of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the Capitol have communicated with their jurisdictional committee and party leadership regarding the urgency and importance of stopping these cuts.
Although the ACR and other organizations have taken many positive steps, eventual congressional action on this issue also will be determined by unpredictable legislative variables factors, such as which legislative vehicle(s) Congress decides to move forward, how much Congress is willing to spend to address the problem and how resistant Congress may be to those who may oppose a potential solution. Any one, or a combination of these factors, may ultimately determine whether Congress chooses to address, or not address, the issue. Should the E/M reductions not be resolved by the end of the year, the ACR and its coalition of partners will continue to look for a solution in the next Congress.
Therefore, it is extremely important that ACR membership maximize what it can control over the coming weeks by responding to congressional calls-to-action. Constituent input matters and are real considerations for your representatives and senators.
If you have not acted already, please act today.