AAHKS Supports “Provider Reimbursement Stability Act” Legislation

This week, AAHKS joined the AMA and more than 120 other specialty and state medical societies in support of H.R. 8163, the “Provider Reimbursement Stability Act.” This legislation represents a necessary step towards building a more rational, predictable Medicare physician payment system that preserves patient access to care and reflects the true cost of delivering high-quality medical services. The legislation calls for a two-year look-back period for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to prospectively correct utilization misestimates for newly unbundled codes. It also requires CMS to update all categories of direct cost inputs simultaneously and at least once every five years, mandating the Agency consult with physician specialty societies when doing this and raising the threshold to $54.3 million beginning in 2027 while indexing it every five years to the MEI. And finally, includes a cap on year-to-year variance in the conversion factor at 2.5 percent, providing guardrails against dramatic swings in either direction. For more information, read the letter.