09/14/2021

MSHO Advocacy Action Alert

ACT Now: Ask Your Representative to Address Medicare Cuts

As Congress returns from its August recess, it is imperative they act to provide relief from cuts to Medicare that are set to take place on January 1, 2022. Recovery from the financial strain the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the healthcare system would become exponentially more difficult if Congress does not address cuts to Medicare reimbursement.

The following cuts to Medicare will be enacted at the end of the year if Congress does not act:

• Expiration of the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester
• Implementation of a 4% Medicare payment cut due to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act
• Expiration of the 3.75% temporary increase in physician fee schedule (PFS) created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, supplying short-term relief from the impact of the pandemic
• CMS is also proposing to establish which of the physician or NPP performing a split (or shared) visit can bill Medicare for the visit based time spent - the provider the claim will need to be billed under is proposed to be changed to the provider that spent more than 50% of the visit based on time. Previously the claim could be billed under either the physician or the NPP.  As you know, this is important because the visit is paid at a higher rate if billed under the physician 

To ensure that Congress makes this a priority, Congressmen Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter that addresses the financial uncertainty facing physicians and practices if Congress fails to act.

Please take a moment and encourage your members to ask their Representative to sign-on to this “Dear Colleague” letter through the ASCO ACT Network.