A coalition of medical professional organizations has asked senators to sign a letter showing support for preventing the 2023 Medicare payment cuts from going into effect.

The coalition includes 100 medical and health groups who asked the senators to sign a Nov. 1 letter urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to address the pay cuts. The 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule is bound by a statutory budget neutrality requirement, mandating that any projected increases in the fee schedule spending are offset through policies elsewhere in the fee schedule. In 2021 and 2022, Congress passed legislation to address instability within the Medicare payment system, but the adjustment included in 2022 in the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequesters Cut Act is set to expire at the end of 2022.

“Multiple changes to physician and other provider payments are slated to go into effect starting January 1, 2023. We urge you to work with members on a bipartisan basis to address these imminent payment cuts. Going forward, we support bipartisan, long-term payment reforms to Medicare in a fiscally responsible manner,” states the letter, which was signed by 46 senators.

The coalition of medical professional organizations in October asked members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 (H.R. 8800), which aims to decrease Medicare reimbursement cuts in 2023 and improve the Medicare Payment system for physicians. The legislation has been cosponsored by 72 members of the House.

Source:

https://www.cap.org/advocacy/latest-news-and-practice-data/november-8-2022#story2