The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons urged Congress to implement a permanent fix to Medicare's physician fee cut, according to a March 9 statement.
Congress' $460 billion spending package would halve 2024's 3.4% Medicare pay cut for physicians to approximately 1.7%. The package would temporarily lower Medicare's 3.4% physician fee cut until Jan. 1, 2025.
The advocacy arm of the AAOS said more should be done to address larger concerns in the system and look at the long-term.
"We appreciate that our calls to Congress did not go completely unanswered, but the small relief provided by a less than 2% adjustment of this year’s cut to Medicare physician services hardly classifies as a solution," Adam Bruggeman, MD, chair of the AAOS Advocacy Council, said in the statement. "Even the misinformation about this minor pay cut update being a 'bonus' is alarming and illustrates the lack of understanding around the bigger problem that is Medicare’s broken payment system. Until lawmakers address the underlying issue and implement long-term reforms, our patients in particular — who make up a large percentage of Medicare beneficiaries — will have a harder time accessing timely, quality care. AAOS will continue pressing Congress to protect patients with a permanent fix."