Action Alert: The next step you can take to fight the cut!

Thanks to those of you that responded to our Action Alert on 8/5, a total of 93 congresspeople (a huge number for these things!) signed onto the Dear Colleague letter Rep. Bobby Rush sent to House leadership. That letter requested a two-year waiver of budget neutrality in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) be included in the next COVID-19 package. Waiving the budget neutrality requirements within the MPFS would prevent the 9% cut for therapists proposed by CMS for next year. The reason the payment for PT/OT/SP would be cut is to pay for the increases in E&M codes for physicians.

But let’s not stop there! In the event this provision is not included in the next COVID-19 package (or if there is no next package) we need more action! Click here to tell your Representative to co-sponsor HR 7154, the Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act, which would prevent the 9% cuts by providing a one-time exemption from the Medicare budget neutrality rules. Enacting this provision would allow the increases to the E&M codes to take effect on 1/1/21 without requiring CMS to implement huge cuts to 37 provider specialties to offset the increases.

PTPN is commenting to CMS on the proposed rule which contains the 9% cut, however CMS has shown no willingness to back down and so legislative action is required. This is a serious issue and so the email we’ve provided for you to send to your Representative is stated very seriously. Of course, you are able to make any changes, additions, or deletions you like. Do it now by clicking here!