Fighting to mitigate Medicare cuts

Advocating to avert impending Medicare cuts is the Academy’s number one legislative priority this year. The AADA continues this fight by supporting House legislation H.R. 2474, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which would provide an inflationary update under the Medicare physician fee schedule tied to the Medicare Economic Index beginning in 2024. The legislation would relieve physicians and ensure financial stability and predictability for physician practices.

To increase the grassroot support for the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, the AADA hosted a Medicare Physician Payment Reform Summit. During the virtual summit — which was attended by almost 300 physicians from across the house of medicine — members of Congress and physician leaders discussed the impact of Medicare physician fee schedule cuts on access to patient care.

Panelists included U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA), and Ami Bera, MD (D-CA), who are congressional leaders in Medicare physician payment reform, along with trailblazers from across the house of medicine. Physician panelists included Terrence A. Cronin Jr., MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association; Anthony L. Asher, MD, FAANS, FACS, president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons; Eileen Barrett, MD, chair of the Board of Regents for the American College of Physicians; David N. Henkes, MD, chair of the Texas Delegation of the Texas Medical Association; Sterling Ransone, MD, FAAP, chair of the Board of the American Academy of Family Physicians; and Cyndi Yag-Howard, MD, FAAD, vice president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Corey Howard, MD, past president of the Florida Medical Association, moderated the event.