Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Congressman Bobby L. Rush, (D-Ill.) introduced H.R. 5612 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a one-year waiver of budget neutrality adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule, and for other purposes. This legislation will provide critical relief to physicians and health care providers facing the looming Medicare payment cuts by using unobligated funds from the Provider Relief Fund to offset cost.
“Already faced with financial strain due to COVID-19, health care providers should not be faced with additional payment cuts,” said Burgess. “Since the onset of the pandemic, our health system has been under enormous pressure due to the financial instability of provider practices and the shortage of healthcare professionals on the front lines. We must take action to halt any looming payment cuts that will further exacerbate these pressures. Congress has a responsibility to ensure our health care heroes are receiving the compensation they deserve while they continue to provide the best care to Medicare beneficiaries. I appreciate my friend, Congressman Bobby Rush, for joining me in this fight.”
“Without immediate Congressional action, physical therapists and other specialists will see their Medicare reimbursement rate dramatically slashed come January,” said Congressman Rush. “These massive and misguided pay cuts will cause direct harm to countless clinicians and patients, particularly those in underserved communities. I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to delay and mitigate the harmful impacts of these cuts, and I thank my colleague Rep. Burgess for introducing this legislation to that effect. I will continue to advocate for broader reforms to the Physician Fee Schedule that will ensure providers are fairly compensated and that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the best possible care.”
Background:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is statutorily required to offset payment increases made for services by reducing payments to other services, as directed by the budget neutrality requirements of the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). As announced in the CY2022 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment Policies, CMS will implement new Medicare payment policies resulting in cuts of up to 25% for some specialties.
