A coalition led by the American College of Radiology® (ACR®), and representing more than 50 organizations and nearly 1.5 million healthcare providers, recently sent a letter to Representatives Mike Burgess, MD (R-TX), and Bobby Rush (D-IL) to recognize their leadership in introducing H.R. 8505. This critical legislation would prevent pending Medicare payment cuts by waiving the budget neutrality requirements stipulated in Section 1848(c)(2) of the Social Security Act for the finalized evaluation and management (E/M) code proposal slated for implementation on Jan. 1, 2021.
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to halt the implementation of any payment reductions that will further exacerbate the financial instability of healthcare provider practices. The ACR Government Relations teams will continue to engage Reps. Burgess and Rush, as well as other lawmakers who have supported the coalition’s ongoing efforts, to advance legislation to provide a critical reprieve for a broad scope of physician and non-physician healthcare providers facing substantial payment reductions in the coming months.