ACR joins call to action against looming Medicare payment cuts
In a last-ditch effort to dissuade Congressional leadership from following through with the impending Medicare cuts scheduled to take effect in the coming days, the American College of Radiology Association (ACRA) Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN) recently sent out a call to action to its members.
The call to action (CTA) was sent out in early December, just weeks before the reimbursement cuts are scheduled to go into effect. Since its inception, the CTA has garnered more than 6,200 messages to lawmakers from providers in over 100 different specialties.
Based on the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) published recently by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, physician reimbursements will be subject to a reduction of 4.5%. In some cases, radiology reimbursements could decrease by double digits, with diagnostic, interventional and radiation oncology being most disproportionately impacted. The 2023 PFS also eliminates the 3% supplemental increase to PFS payments for calendar year 2022.
Described as “disastrous” and “ominous,” the proposed cuts have been subject to rampant industry-wide backlash, with some cautioning that, if enacted, the reductions could cause “immediate financial instability” in the Medicare physician payment system.
The cuts are scheduled to take effect starting on January 1, 2023. As the date approaches, ACRA is urging its members to participate in the CTA immediately, in addition to increasing their social media outreach on twitter with the hashtags #StopTheFullCut and #Radvocacy.
To participate in the CTA, click here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.