Momentum Builds on Capitol Hill to Stop 20% Reimbursement Cuts to Medicare Specialty Providers

 

Bipartisan Rush-Bilirakis letter to CMS gains steam with an outpouring of support from members of Congress and specialty care community 

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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA) announced growing momentum to halt the deep, across-the-board cuts proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

 

So far, 16 members of the House, and growing each day, have signed on to the bipartisan Rush-Bilirakis letter urging CMS not to finalize the clinical labor policy in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. In addition, there are now 15 organizations across the specialty care community supporting this effort. 

 

The 20% payment cuts to critical services in the proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Rule for CY2022 would threaten to drive office-based providers out of business, increase health system consolidation, exacerbate health inequity and reduce patient choice. 

 

Dr. Mark Garcia, USPA Board Member and Health Policy Advisor, stated, “Leaders on both sides of the aisle who represent both rural and urban districts understand how devastating a 20% cut would be to the local providers and patients in their district. There is a groundswell of support building to get CMS to change course and do the right thing for patients. The answer is not tinkering around the edges with a misguided formula; the solution is for Congress to put in place fundamental reforms to the PFS that will secure access for patients and keep office-based providers in business.”

 

Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) contains proposed cuts that will adversely affect a broad array of office-based specialists; for example, physical therapy, phlebology, radiation oncology, radiology, cardiology, interventional nephrology, interventional radiology, vascular surgery, and many more services that patients depend on.

 

List of Coalition Signatories:

 

• American College of Radiation Oncology

• American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology

• American Vein & Lymphatic Society

• American Venous Forum

• Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation

• Association of Black Cardiologists

• CardioVascular Coalition

• Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition

• Fibroid Coalition

• Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society

• Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association

• Renal Physicians Association

• Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions

• Society of Interventional Radiology

• United Specialists for Patient Access

 

List of Co-signers on Rush-Bilirakis letter to CMS:

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• Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL)

• Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)

• Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA)

• Rep. Earl Carter (R-GA)

• Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA)

• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)

• Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)

• Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)

• Rep. Ted Deutsch (D-FL)

• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

• Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)

• Rep. John Joyce (R-PA)

• Rep. Barbara Lee (D-TX)

• Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA)

• Rep. David McKinley (R-WV)

• Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY)

• Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)

• Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC)

• Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ)

• Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)

• Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)

• Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA)

• Rep. Deborah Ross (D-PA)

• Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)

• Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)

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About the United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA) 
USPA is a coalition of practitioners and affiliated entities involved in providing office-based specialty care. : https://www.uspaccess.org/