Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate

CardioVascular Coalition Calls for Immediate Congressional Action to Prevent Further Clinical Labor Cuts

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
MPFS, Policy, PAD, Peripheral artery disease, CAD, Patient, PFS, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Coronary artery disease, Coalition, CMS, Harm reduction, CVC, Medicare, Congress, Physician, System, Legislation, Pharmaceutical industry, MD

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, the CardioVascular Coalition (CVC) – a coalition of physicians, care providers, advocates, and manufacturers — is calling on Congress to step in and stop the cuts to revascularization services included in the finalized 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Rule.

Key Points: 
  • "We are asking for Congress to step in and stop these cuts from harming patients and forcing providers to close their doors.
  • 3674 is a bipartisan solution that can pass before the end of the year, but Congress must make this a priority."
  • These year-over-year cuts are being implemented without regard to patient outcomes, actual PFS provider resource needs, or any other rationale policy.
  • The CardioVascular Coalition (CVC) strongly supports the Providing Relief and Stability for Medicare Patients Act of 2023 (H.R.

Michigan health centers are losing almost $100 with every visit

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Community, FQHC, Medicare, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Obstetrics, Health Management Associates, Veteran, Dental care, Transport, Community health center, MPCA, Pharmacy, Poverty, Medicaid, Safety, MEI, Nursing, Patient, Health insurance

Additionally, 21% of health centers will have to discontinue entire service lines, like obstetrics or dental care, and 17% will be forced to close one or more locations.

Key Points: 
  • Additionally, 21% of health centers will have to discontinue entire service lines, like obstetrics or dental care, and 17% will be forced to close one or more locations.
  • Michigan health centers provide essential health care services regardless of patients’ ability to pay and charge for services on a sliding fee scale.
  • Community health centers are patient-centered local healthcare organizations that provide care to people who live in underserved areas and areas with shortages in health professionals.
  • In 2020, Michigan health centers served more than 648,000 residents living in poverty, 230,135 children, 15,512 veterans, and 39,092 homeless.

SullivanCotter Reports Primary Care and Hospital-Based Specialties Lead in 2023 Physician Compensation Increases

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Practice Management, Data Analytics, Human Resources, General Health, Health, Consulting, Hospitals, Professional Services, Primary care, TCC, Medicare, Physician, Pressure, Productivity, Prevalence, Workforce, Doctor of Philosophy, Organization, Population health, APP, Multimedia, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Hospital, WRVU, App, Emergency medicine, Nursing, Health care

View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231019435197/en/

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231019435197/en/
    The report reveals the most significant median total cash compensation (TCC) increases for Primary Care (9.5%) and Hospital-Based (8.7%) specialties, and finds increases across most specialty areas in 2023.
  • With the anticipated shortage of primary care physicians (survey respondents reported the highest percentage turnover in primary care at 8.4%) projected to increase, health care organization leaders will confront sustained upward pressure on compensation for these roles moving forward.
  • “For primary care specialties, the Physician Fee Schedule transition is still impacting physician compensation as compared to last year’s survey results.
  • The 2023 report showed that base salary and wRVU components continue to be prevalent in primary care, medical, and surgical specialty compensation plans.

Time is Running Out for Congress To Reverse Clinical Labor Cuts

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 12, 2022
Senate, EM, Human, House, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Patient, USPA, MPFS, CMO, Administration, Congress, Medicare, Hospital, Medicine

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, the United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA) is urging Congress to stop the finalized clinical labor and EM cuts included in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule from going into effect December 31. Barring congressional action, the cuts will begin to undermine the quality care for patients starting in January.

Key Points: 
  • Barring congressional action, the cuts will begin to undermine the quality care for patients starting in January.
  • USPA has warned that these clinical labor cuts will disproportionately impact specialists who care for Medicare beneficiaries in community-based, office settings.
  • In addition, the cuts will continue to accelerate the health system consolidation trend, exacerbate health inequities, and threaten the pandemic resilience of our healthcare system.
  • "There is bipartisan support to stop this MPFS from going into effect and causing an earthquake in our healthcare system.

DVAC Policy Chair Says Stopping Clinical Labor Cuts is "Moral Responsibility"

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Quality of life, Health, MD, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Diagnosis, Patient, Fistula, Infection, Chronic kidney disease, Physician, Safety, Society, Dialysis, Catheter, Hospital, Nephrology, Policy, Congress, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Medicare, Injury, Health insurance

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Congress has a moral responsibility to stop clinical labor cuts

Key Points: 
  • He shares his thoughts below on how Congress can stop the ongoing clinical labor cuts.
  • This latest round of cuts will only serve to contribute to office closures, speed up health system consolidation and exacerbate health inequities.
  • This comes after years of repeated, unsustainable reductions, including clinical labor cuts of over 20% in 2022, which are being phased in through 2025.
  • He is the medical director of American Access Care Physician, PLLC Manhattan in Manhattan, New York, and serves as the policy chair for the Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition.

Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders Responds to CMS Proposed Policy Changes in 2023 Physician Fee Schedule: Changes Could Increase Amputations and Infection for Patients with Wounds, Restrict Access to Care, Impact Reimbursement

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Seniors, Managed Care, Surgery, Health, Diabetes, Medical Devices, Hospitals, Consumer, Center, CTP, Medicare, Policy, CTPS, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, CMS, Assault, Public policy, Person, Infection, Patient, Amputation, CEO, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, China Biologic Products, Human, Research, Education, Color, Hospital, Medicine, Alliance

“Our comments reflect the input and perspectives of our members -- thousands of clinicians and wound care stakeholders nationwide -- that decry this assault on patient access to care,” says Nusgart.

Key Points: 
  • CMS proposed policy reclassifies all CTPs as supplies incident to a physician service, and packages payment for these supplies into the practice expense associated with that service.
  • The impacts are significant to wound care providers and patients on several levels, says Nusgart, citing several problematic areas.
  • Our comments reflect the input and perspectives of our members -- thousands of clinicians and wound care stakeholders nationwide -- that decry this assault on patient access to care, says Nusgart.
  • With a key focus on coding, coverage and reimbursement, quality measures and wound care research, The Alliance has enabled the wound care clinical community to collaborate, elevating the visibility and united voice of wound care providers to regulators and policymakers.

Surgical Care Coalition Statement on Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
SCC, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Time, Center, Medicare, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Legislation, CMS, Calendar, Patient, Letter, Investment, PAYGO, Physician, Representative, Solution, Congress, Multimedia, Surgical Care Improvement Project, Health insurance, MD

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Surgical Care Coalition (SCC) issued the following statement after the introduction of H.R.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Surgical Care Coalition (SCC) issued the following statement after the introduction of H.R.
  • 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022, by Representatives Ami Bera, MD (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.)
  • that addresses the nearly 4.5% cut to the Medicare conversion factor proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2023.
  • Unlike other sectors of the health care industry, investments in physicians and other health care professionals treating Medicare patients lack an automatic annual update.

AAOS Comments on Proposed Medicare Payment Policy Changes for 2023

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 12, 2022
Health policy, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center, AAOS, Academy, RUC, MD, CY, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Practice management, CMS, Health, American Association, Letter, IPO, Physician, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Surgeon, CPT, Government, Arthrodesis, Association, Decision-making, Multimedia, PFS, Health insurance, Hospital, Online shopping, Medicare

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) issued formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency's proposed payment policy changes for Calendar Year (CY) 2023.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) issued formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency's proposed payment policy changes for Calendar Year (CY) 2023.
  • The AAOS' concerns center around ongoing cuts to physician reimbursement, including a nearly 4.5 percent conversion factor reduction, while practice expenses continue to rise.
  • The AAOS is urging CMS to reform the current physician reimbursement system and create value-based payment models that include incentives tailored to the distinct needs of specialty physicians.
  • The AAOS' comments address the "dangerous precedent" of increasing prior authorization in the hospital outpatient setting and its negative impact on patient care.

USPA Calls for Freeze to MPFS Updates and Fundamental Reform

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 9, 2022
Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Radiation, Therapy, PFS, Anesthesiology, Urology, MPFS, CMS, Policy, Dialysis, EM, USPA, Cardiology, Freezing, Radiology, Risk management, Medicine

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA) announced today that the organization has submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule for the CY 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (CMS-1770-P).

Key Points: 
  • USPA believes it would be best for CMS to truly 'prioritize stability and predictability over ongoing updates' by temporarily freezing the implementation of further policy updates including the clinical labor policy in 2023 through 2025, EM revisions in 2023.
  • Instead, we urge CMS to focus on fundamental PFS reform."
  • USPA recently released a 60-second explainer video on the proposed MPFS and EM cuts.
  • Grant Herring, United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA), 2025521708, [email protected]

Surgical Care Coalition and Over 100 Medical Organizations Urge Congress to Stop Pending Medicare Cuts That Will Impact Millions of Seniors

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 1, 2022
Surgeon, Congress, Cataract, Physician, Health, Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care, Solution, PAYGO, CMS, Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, Refractive surgery, Multimedia, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Quality of life, Policy, MBA, Calendar, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Ecosystem, MD, Patient, MPFS, Anesthesiology, Letter, Center, Medicare, FACS, Health insurance

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a nearly 4.5% cut to the Medicare conversion factor, a key element for calculating Medicare payments.

Key Points: 
  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a nearly 4.5% cut to the Medicare conversion factor, a key element for calculating Medicare payments.
  • When combined with the pending 4% Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) cut, surgical care faces a nearly 8.5% cut next year.
  • As medical costs reach record highs, the proposed cuts reflect an unsustainable Medicare payment system that is out-of-touch with the needs of millions of Americans.
  • The Surgical Care Coalition advocates for access to quality surgical care for all Americans.