Seven members of Congress have signed a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner about reimbursement cuts for hip and knee replacement procedures next year.
Representative Tom Price, MD (R-Ga.), an orthopedic surgeon, was one of the Congressional members spearheading the letter, which stated that CMS did not provide adequate public notice or comment opportunities before making the change.
"We believe doctors who perform these procedures should have an opportunity to examine CMS's recommendations and underlying data and offer their analysis and comment before any rate changes go into effect," stated the letter. "When considering rate changes, it is important to keep in mind that Medicare payments for hip and knee replacement procedures have not kept up with inflation. In real dollars, the payment rate has decreased 20 percent over the last 10 years."
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