SCAI Urges Members to Support Legislation to Stop 2022 Medicare Cuts

November 29, 2021—The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) announced a SCAI Government Relations initiative calling for its members to support recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would provide critical relief to interventional cardiologists and other physicians responding to the COVID-19 pandemic who are currently scheduled to receive Medicare payment cuts next year.

The Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021 (H.R. 6020), sponsored by Representatives Ami Bera, MD, (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, MD, (R-IN), would extend the 2021 Medicare physician payment adjustment of 3.75% for an additional year.

SCAI advised that many interventional cardiologists, physician specialists, therapists, and others will be faced with substantial reimbursement cuts—up to 9% for many health care providers—beginning on January 1, 2022, without further action.

The SCAI announcement stated, “Congress needs to create stability in the health care system by stopping the immediate payment cuts to surgeons and other health care professionals while considering longer-term reforms to the payment system. Without action, the irresponsible cuts, set to take effect soon, will jeopardize patient access to medically necessary services.”

The society is urging its members to contact their representatives and urge them to cosponsor the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021 (H.R. 6020). SCAI provides further information and assistance here.

Members of Congress value these contacts and consider the number of individual constituents that take the time to reach out to their offices on matters of legislative importance, noted SCAI.

On November 19, SCAI advised that a comprehensive overview of these and other important policy changes outlines the latest Physician Fee Schedule, Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment Systems, and Ambulatory Surgical Center final rules published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The overview is available here.