Current Advocacy Efforts
Remind Congress that significant payment cuts are looming, and patient access is in jeopardy
Posted: October 14, 2022
The ACS remains committed to preventing another significant round of Medicare physician payment cuts but needs your help to further amplify this issue, including taking action via SurgeonsVoice and sharing how these cuts will impact you and your patients. As evidenced by record-breaking 2020-2021 efforts, grassroots advocacy works and remains essential to stopping the cuts. ACS chapter involvement is essential!
With a growing list of priorities to address prior to year-end, please write your lawmakers today and ask them to cosponsor this legislation, while ensuring stopping the cuts remains at the top of Congress’ agenda. ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy (DAHP) staff is eager to help. For questions or assistance, contact DAHP staff at ahp@facs.org.
Background: The 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule once again jeopardizes the financial stability of many physician practices by proposing policy changes that would lead to additional Medicare physician payment cuts. Without immediate congressional action, surgeons and other physicians face another round of significant - nearly 8.5% - Medicare payment cuts on January 1, 2023.
Status: On September 13, our longstanding congressional allies, Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA-07) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN-08), introduced the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 (H.R. 8800), which would address the nearly 4.5% cut to the Medicare conversion factor for physicians’ services furnished in 2023. ACS continues to work with Congress to develop additional legislation that waives the 4 percent statutory PAYGO cut and provides a long overdue inflationary update, however it is critical that Congress pass the Supporting Medicare Providers Act.
Remind Congress that patients will be impacted by Medicare payment cuts
Posted: September 13, 2022
Preventing cuts to Medicare physician payment remains a top ACS advocacy priority as another round of significant cuts (nearly 8.5%) looms. Without congressional action, effective January 1, 2023, proposed cuts could once again impact patient access to surgical care. With no mechanism in place to bring payment levels to the current cost of providing care, these compounding negative financial factors facing those who treat Medicare patients co-exist amid historically high inflation.
As evidenced by record-breaking 2020-2021 efforts, grassroots advocacy works and remains essential to stopping the cuts.
ACS chapter involvement in the coming months will be essential. Be sure to write (and beginning 9/14, call) your lawmakers to inform them how the cuts impact you and your patients. ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy staff is eager to help. For questions or assistance, contact DAHP staff at ahp@facs.org.