The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. After this year’s cuts to Medicare rates for specialty procedures, CMS is proposing an even deeper round of cuts for several dozen surgical procedures, including joint arthroplasty. CMS claims it is “Modernizing Medicare Physician Payments” by changing rates “to better reflect modern medical practice and support the Trump administration’s goal of shifting from sick care to health care.”
The proposed cuts are framed as reforms of methods for calculating inputs. This impacts physician work, practice expense and medical malpractice insurance of wRVUs. CMS says that RUC proposed reductions do not go far enough.
Proposed 2027 Changes to Physician Rate Inputs
Total Proposed 2027 Rates for THA & TKA
AAHKS strongly opposes this proposal from CMS. We will express our opposition when we meet at the highest levels at CMS, HHS and the White House. We are lining up support in Congress. Your AAHKS President, Board and Advocacy leadership are all fully engaged and are coordinating with AAOS to make a greater impact.
Your attention and involvement in this fight are essential. Read our preliminary summary and learn more at our CMS payment center, including our action plan. Watch for and respond to Action Alerts to write CMS and Congress. Contribute to the OrthoPAC (text AAHKS to 41444) to strengthen our hand as we give top priority to rolling back this unprecedented hit to the care we provide to our patients.