Stakeholders Representing Office-based Specialists Ask Congress For Relief In Upcoming Omnibus Package

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA) released a public letter calling on Congress to address the clinical labor cuts initiated by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The coalition of 18 stakeholders is asking members of Congress to sign the bipartisan letter being circulated by Representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), which asks congressional leadership to reverse the CMS-directed clinical labor cuts in the upcoming omnibus appropriations legislation.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE USPA STAKEHOLDER LETTER.

Dr. Mark Garcia, USPA board member and CMO for American Vascular Associates, said "Patients and specialty providers are counting on Congress to reverse these cuts. If these cuts stay in place, it will widen the health equity gap and hasten the consolidation of our health system. USPA applauds the bipartisan work around this issue and is grateful for the members of Congress stepping up to solve it."

The letter makes it clear that the devastating 20% cuts to specialty care in the finalized Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Rule for 2022 pose a threat to patients and office-based providers.

The letter states, in part: "These 'clinical labor' cuts are the most significant negative impact of the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule by far and threaten to undermine efforts to address health inequity, the acceleration of health system consolidation, and weaken our ability to deal with the pandemic. Furthermore, as these combined cuts are phased-in over the next four years, they will do lasting damage to specialty providers under the PFS and increase overall Medicare spending and patient copays as patients are forced to seek care in higher cost sites-of-service."

It continues, "Specialty care stakeholders are urging all members of Congress to work in a bipartisan fashion to provide relief to office-based specialists to provide relief from 2022 Physician Fee Schedule clinical labor cuts and work on fundamental reform of the Physician Fee Schedule."

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE USPA EXPLAINER VIDEO ON THE CLINICAL LABOR POLICY.

Specialty provider stakeholders in support of the bipartisan letter:

Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation
American College of Radiation Oncology
American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology
American Society of Nephrology
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
American Vein & Lymphatic Society
American Venous Forum
Association of Black Cardiologists
CardioVascular Coalition
Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition
The Fibroid Coalition
Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Renal Physicians Association
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions
Society of Interventional Radiology
Society for Vascular Medicine
United Specialists for Patient Access

About the United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA): The mission of USPA is to unify and strengthen the voice of office-based specialists, enabling professionals and patient advocates to work collaboratively with Congress and the Administration and achieve near-term relief and long-term payment stability in the Physician Fee Schedule. For more information, please click here: https://www.uspaccess.org.

SOURCE United Specialists for Patient Access (USPA)