On Friday, Oct. 2, Representatives Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX) and Bobby Rush (D-IL), introduced legislation to prevent pending Medicare payment cuts generated by the finalized evaluation and management (E/M) code proposal slated for implementation Jan. 1, 2021. The bill, H.R. 8505, provides a critical reprieve from the forthcoming payment reductions by providing a one-year waiver of the budget neutrality requirements stipulated in Section 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act.
Introduction of the bill represents a positive step in the ongoing effort to highlight the expected negative impact of the looming cuts and spur congressional intervention before the end of the year. The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) continues to lead a broad coalition of more than fifty physician and non-physician provider organizations, representing nearly 1.5 million healthcare providers. The ACR government relations team will provide additional information regarding H.R. 8505 and other potential legislative proposals, as well as opportunities for ACR member engagement, as they become available.