Medicare cuts ignore realities of pandemic and will harm patient care
By Admin | November 06, 2021
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doubles down on the harmful 3.75 percent cut to surgeons and surgical practices that will harm patient access to care, which has already been significantly impacted by the pandemic, argues the Surgical Care Coalition.
"Amid the ongoing pandemic, it's critical now more than ever, to protect patients by stopping these cuts and working toward a long-term solution to stabilize the health care system," said John K. Ratliff, MD, American Association of Neurological Surgeon/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Washington Committee Chair. "Patients have already delayed important preventative care like cancer screenings due to COVID-19. These cuts will further delay care to our nation's seniors."
This 3.75 percent cut combined with automatic Medicare cuts will slash Medicare payments to surgeons by nearly nine percent, beginning January 1, 2022. As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have already caused Americans to delay needed care, these cuts will continue to strain health care systems nationwide.
"Our patients put their trust in us to provide them the best care, but it's becoming increasingly clear that they cannot trust the system that's supposed to be set up to support them," said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, American College of Surgeons Executive Director. "These Medicare cuts will further exacerbate our pandemic-strained health care system and cause further delay in care to the patients who need...(More)
For more info please read, Medicare cuts ignore realities of pandemic and will harm patient care, by PRNewsWire
