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- House Majority Supports Mitigating 2022 Medicare Cuts to Physicians
In an October 14 letter to House leadership, 245 members of the House of Representative urged Congress to extend a 3.75% positive Medicare payment adjustment through 2022 in order to provide stability to physicians and other providers serving Medicare patients. The CAP has advocated for this relief throughout 2021, including during a “virtual fly-in” the week of October 12 where CAP members met with about 60 congressional offices to discuss the importance of mitigating the 5% Medicare cut next year.
The October 14 letter was led by Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN). “As a practicing surgeon for nearly 15 years, I believe that no doctor should have to worry about the uncertainty of looming reimbursement cuts while battling COVID-19 on the front lines,” said Rep. Bucshon. “Physicians are among the everyday heroes keeping our families healthy, our communities out of harm’s way, and our livelihoods protected during this pandemic. Now is not the time to ask them to take a reimbursement cut.”
Reps. Bera and Bucshon led the successful effort last year to mitigate proposed cuts in health care payments, including introducing the bipartisan Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020 and leading the coalition of Members and stakeholders advocating for the final relief passed by Congress. In December 2020, lawmakers followed through by including a 3.75% Medicare payment increase, which mitigated budget neutrality cuts stemming from the CMS’s policy to increase payment for evaluation and management services, for the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and pausing budgetary sequestration cuts. The CAP has supported this relief be extended for another year.