WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Surgical Care Coalition (SCC) issued the following statement after the introduction of H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022, by Representatives Ami Bera, MD (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.) that addresses the nearly 4.5% cut to the Medicare conversion factor proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2023.
“We commend Representatives Bera and Bucshon for their ongoing leadership protecting seniors’ access to surgical care. This legislation is a critical step in helping patients. We also urge lawmakers to support solutions to stop the pending 4% PAYGO cut and address the stagnant payment that has failed to keep pace with inflation for years to further stabilize the Medicare system and ensure patients have access to the high-quality care they deserve.”
Background
- When the 4.5% CMS cut to the Medicare conversion factor is combined with the pending 4% Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) cut, surgical care faces a nearly 8.5% cut next year.
- These looming cuts, which come after the 2% sequestration cut that was fully reinstated in July, represent a significant threat to the millions of seniors nationwide who rely on the Medicare program to access timely, high-quality care.
- Unlike other sectors of the health care industry, investments in physicians and other health care professionals treating Medicare patients lack an automatic annual update. Medicare payments have failed to keep pace with inflation, resulting in a real-world decrease year after year, while the costs of running a medical practice have increased significantly over time.
- The SCC and over 100 medical organizations representing more than one million physicians and other health care professionals recently penned a letter urging Congress to implement at least a 4.5% adjustment to the Medicare conversion factor, waive the 4% statutory PAYGO requirement and provide a one-year inflationary update based on the Medicare Economic Index.
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SOURCE Surgical Care Coalition
