Call to Action: Tell Your Members of Congress to Support New Physican Payment Legislation

Over 1 million physicians and nonphysician health care clinicians can’t be wrong.

So, when they come together in support of legislation to address a devastating cut to the Medicare conversion factor included in CMS’ proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, it’s a bill worth supporting.

The Academy joined a diverse array of organizations in a Sept. 30 letter to ophthalmology champions, Reps. Ami Bera, MD, D-Calif., and Larry Bucshon, MD, R-Ind., applauding them for introducing the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 to avert the cuts by providing a one-year 4.42% boost to the 2023 conversion factor.

This is the third consecutive year physicians have faced a drastic cut in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services fee schedule payments. Inflation is increasing the effect of the cut. Physicians are the only providers under Medicare without an annual cost-of-practice update, even as the annual inflation rate has ticked above 8%.

In past years Congress has come together to fund a last-minute fix, but there is no guarantee it will happen again this year.

Only a few days are left on the House and Senate calendars for debating bills. And with an election in November, the window to influence members of Congress is even smaller.

We call on Academy members to reach out to their representatives, urge their support for HR 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022, and ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor.

You can share these graphs below from the American Medical Association to help illustrate the urgency of the issue and the need for Congressional action.