Take Action – Submit Comments to CMS to Avoid More Cuts

On July 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule for public comment. The proposal includes a recommendation to allow the expiry of an increase to the RVU Conversion Factor, which was implemented by Congress in reaction to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This change could mean a cut to Medicare reimbursement of more than 3%. Reimbursements to physicians account for less than 10% of total Medicare payments to providers for lower extremity joint replacement episodes, and yet CMS has cut Medicare payments to physicians for hip and knee replacement by 9% over 5 years. AAHKS is asking CMS to provide technical assistance to Congress to waive budget neutrality adjustments for the Physician Fee Schedule Conversion Factor, or otherwise prevent the 3.4% cut in physician payments for hip and knee replacement proposed for 2022. We have prepared comments to this effect on your behalf. If you have not already done so, please submit the prepared comments to CMS here