The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons expressed support for a bipartisan letter calling for lawmakers to prevent a 2.8% Medicare pay cut.
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is slated to take effect Jan. 1 if there isn't federal legislation, according to an Oct. 15 news release shared with Becker's. The letter to House leadership was co-signed by the AANS and CNS, and it urges legislative action to implement a payment update reflecting "inflationary pressures associated with running a practice."
"Year after year, Medicare payment cuts jeopardize the viability of physician practices," Russel Lonser, MD, chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee, said in the news release. "It is time to stop consolidation and protect access to quality care for patients, especially those in rural or underserved communities. Congress must prevent future cuts and focus on sustainable, long-term solutions."
U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD, R-Iowa; Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.; Greg Murphy, MD, R-N.C.; Raul Ruiz, MD, D-Calif.; Larry Bucshon, MD, R-Ind.; Kim Schrier, MD, D-Wash.; John Joyce, MD, R-Pa.; and Ami Bera, MD, D-Calif., led the bipartisan letter.
Read the full Oct. 11 letter here.