capitol hill report: take action to prevent damaging reimbursement cuts!

For years, starting with the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate and then moving into the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), physicians have faced significant cuts to reimbursement under Medicare that require congressional action to fix—generally at the end of the calendar year. The so-called “doc-fix” is something many seasoned AAN advocates are familiar with. At the end of each year, we ask you to contact your members of Congress to advocate for legislation that would mitigate cuts proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We need your help again this year! Email your representative and help prevent damaging cuts to Medicare physician reimbursement.

Your advocacy is especially important as 2023 comes to an end. The “doc-fix” is generally included in a large year-end appropriations or supplemental spending package, but Congress has faced significant challenges coming to an agreement on such packages. Instead, in order to avoid a government shutdown over the holidays, Congress passed legislation funding itself in tiers, with some programs expiring in January and others in February. This unprecedented move creates several problems for efforts to fund federal agencies, including the NIH and VA Neurology Centers of Excellence.

Crucially, the bill’s passage moves the timeline for any large package that could include a “doc-fix” into the beginning of 2024. This means that, while the AAN and other physician associations are working hard to find a vehicle for this fix before the end of the year, the cuts to the conversion factor in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule are going to go into effect at the start of 2024. This does not mean that Congress is planning to let these cuts continue. Congressmembers have introduced several bills to address the cuts, and leaders are interested in supporting some relief for physicians once an appropriate vehicle is available.

This uncertainty underscores the importance of contacting your members of Congress. If legislators hear from physicians about the consequences of these cuts for patients and practices in their districts, they will be more likely to push for a solution. You can reach out with just a few clicks using the AAN’s action center. The AAN will continue urging Congress to address the cuts as soon as possible. If you have any questions about what this means for you—or what you can do to advocate for your patients and your practice—please send an email to advocacy@aan.com.