The Radiology Advocacy Network (RAN) needs your support and your voice to increase the number of cosponsors for H.R. 8702, the “Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020.” This bill is intended to halt the 2021 evaluation and management (E/M) Medicare Physician Fee Payment Schedule changes that are on track to result in an unprecedented reduction in reimbursement on radiology practices, estimated at -11%. These dramatic cuts to radiology and other medical specialties’ reimbursement are already scheduled for implementation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Jan. 1, 2021, and will compound the strain that our practices and patients are already experiencing.
The Radiology Advocacy Network took immediate action on this bill by sending a call-to-action (CTA) to all American College of Radiology® (ACR®) members on Tuesday, Nov. 3. In order to galvanize additional support, a second CTA was sent one week later to all who had not responded to the first CTA. Response rates have been very low, especially considering the significant impact the associated cuts will have on radiologists.
To date, we have had only 1,914 letters sent to 348 Members of Congress by ACR members. This is one of the lowest CTA participation rates that we have ever experienced, with only 4% of ACR radiologists responding.
This CMS policy change will affect every radiologist negatively and significantly unless it is prevented, delayed or changed. It is therefore extraordinarily important that every radiologist participate and advocate for support of this critical bill.
"I think there may be a sense among many radiologists that this dramatic reduction in Medicare payments to radiologists may not come to pass. Unfortunately, that's dead wrong. Unless we come together to convince our legislators to intervene, this dramatic reduction in reimbursement is a done deal," said David Youmans, MD, FACR, Chair of RAN.
Please act now to ask your representative to cosponsor H.R. 8702.