Neurosurgery Leads Coalition Effort to Prevent Steep Medicare Cuts

On July 23, the AANS and the CNS joined more than 100 health care organizations to urge congressional leaders to avoid Medicare payment cuts in 2022. The letter — sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — thanked Congress for mitigating cuts that were scheduled to take effect in 2021 “via a 3.75% Conversion Factor (CF) increase for all services.” The letter noted that “the provider community is again bracing for steep cuts in 2022, which could result in many beneficiaries losing timely access to essential health care services. To avoid this scenario, our organizations urge Congress to maintain the 3.75% increase to the CF through at least calendar years 2022 and 2023.”

The letter also urged congressional leaders to consider reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including “addressing the budget neutrality requirement, which can lead to arbitrary reductions to reimbursement unrelated to the cost of providing care.” The letter stated that this requirement often results in providers being “forced into an adversarial role when fee schedule payment policies are developed and/or implemented.” Ultimately patients “suffer as providers adjust to unpredictable and excessive reductions to reimbursement that inhibit their ability to ensure beneficiaries have access to the care they need; services that improve outcomes and lower costs.”

“We remain committed to partnering with Congress to identify and advance these critical reforms and appreciate your continued support of the health care providers on which older Americans rely,” the letter concluded.

Click here to read the letter.