Leading Healthcare Organizations Praise Bill to Halt Medicare Cuts to PT and Other Specialties

As providers, we know how dangerous Medicare’s specialty cuts are. Fortunately, we’re not alone. On November 11, we joined more than 70 leading healthcare organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Occupational Therapy Association, in sending a letter to House lawmakers thanking them for introducing new legislation to stop the cuts to specialty providers planned for January 1.

The bipartisan bill, The Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020 (H.R. 8702), would halt the implementation of payment reductions for two years in order to stabilize the nation’s healthcare system and ensure patients’ continued access to vital services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, the bill would provide much-needed stability by preventing the specialty cuts while still allowing significant reimbursement increases for evaluation and management (E/M) services to go into effect.

The organizations urged Congress to pass H.R. 8702 in the next available legislative package. Doing so during the lame duck period of Congress would ensure that the specialty cuts—including the devastating 9% cut to physical, speech and occupational therapy services—would not go into effect as currently planned on January 1.

The letter was directed specifically to the bill’s lead policymakers in the House of Representatives—Reps. Ami Bera, MD, Larry Bucshon, MD, Brendan Boyle, Abby Finkenauer, George Holding, Roger Marshall, MD, Phil Roe, MD and Raul Ruiz, MD—as well as House leadership on both sides of the aisle.

Now Congress must hear from you.

Click here to email your lawmakers now and ask them to oppose Medicare cuts to specialty providers!