The American College of Surgeons actively works with Congress and the administration to propose and advocate for a Medicare payment system that incentivizes high-value care for seniors, appropriately compensates surgeons for their time and skill, and minimizes administrative burdens on physicians and their practices.
Dr. Turner Testifies before Senate Finance Committee on Medicare Physician Payment
The Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on April 11, 2024 about “Bolstering Chronic Care through Medicare Physician Payment.”
ACS Executive Director & CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, was among those who offered testimony and answered questions from committee members.
During the testimony, Dr. Turner underscored some of the challenges surgeons face because of a lack of inflationary updates and continued reductions in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare payments, as well as the harm these cuts are doing to patients who deserve access to quality surgical care. She said now is the time to act.
“To create stability in the Medicare physician payment system, Congress should immediately address cuts already expected in 2025,” Dr. Turner advised, recommending implementation of positive annual updates reflecting the inflation in practice costs. “Under current law, and assuming no additional cuts result from budget neutrality or other policy decisions, it would take decades for the physician fee schedule conversion factor to return to the same amount it was in the year 2000. The implementation of positive annual updates to the conversion factor reflecting the inflation in practice costs is an essential step necessary to enhance patient access to care and improve quality.”
She added that the ACS and surgeons writ large are committed to working with Congress to ensure the stability of the Medicare FFS system through both short- and long-term policy improvement. She urged a transition to value-based care and improving the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, and highlighted how the ACS has set the standard for high-quality evidence-based surgical care through its 13 quality programs.
Dr. Turner’s testimony is the latest in the ACS’s continued efforts to aggressively fight for surgeons and for providing the highest-quality care to surgical patients.
You can watch Dr. Turner’s testimony online, and you can read her submitted statement.
The ACS will not stop demanding anything short of a complete overhaul of the Medicare payment system.
You can help amplify the call by taking part in ACS surgeon advocacy efforts. See a listing of ways you can contribute through SurgeonsVoice.
If you have questions about the process, contact the Division of Advocacy and Health Policy at ahp@facs.org.
Congressional Efforts
Congressional Correspondence Regarding Medicare Physician Payment
Read ACS letters, testimonies, and more.
Additional ACS Payment Resources
MACRA Quality Payment Program—ACS Quality Payment Program Resource Center
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule
ACS Regulatory Relief Asks
