WASHINGTON – The College of American Pathologists expressed its deep disappointment after Congress will end its legislative session for 2023 without addressing future Medicare payment cuts to physician services. Overall, these services will receive a 3.37% cut on January 1, 2024, after several years of similar cuts and insufficient updates to Medicare’s physician fee schedule to account for rising inflation. While Congress may address the Medicare payment cuts retroactively when they return in January, the lack of predictability in Medicare reimbursement is untenable.
CAP President Donald S. Karcher, MD, FCAP issued the following statement urging Congress to take up legislation to stop the cut as soon as lawmakers return to Washington in the New Year. The CAP supports the passage of the Preserving Seniors’ Access to Physicians Act of 2023 (HR 6683) that stops the upcoming 3.37% cut to Medicare physician payments.
“Pathologists and their laboratories have endured several challenges in recent years to meet the demands of the US health system while facing declining reimbursements. Our commitment to our patients is unwavering,” Dr. Karcher said. “At the same time, physicians cannot continue to do more with fewer resources. While coping with workforce shortages and inflationary pressures, we must still invest in new technology and advance laboratory infrastructure to maintain and enhance quality patient care. Congress must honor its commitment to seniors and the physicians who care for them by stabilizing Medicare pay in the short and long term.”
The 2024 cuts are on top of the lack of an inflationary update to the physician fee schedule. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), Medicare physician pay fell 26% from 2001-2023 because physicians, unlike other Medicare providers, do not get yearly inflationary payment updates. While Congress passed legislation to mitigate the impact of the cuts in 2023 and 2024, they did not stop the cuts completely. The CAP continues to urge Congress to pass legislation to stop the cuts to pathology services until long-term reforms are enacted.