Advocacy & Practice Updates — Advocacy & Practice
ASRS Joins Medical Community in Renewed Fight for Medicare Payment Reform
Amid some political wrangling over the election of the Speaker of the House, the 119th Congress opened late last week ushering in new opportunities and challenges in ASRS’s efforts to achieve our public policy goals—particularly in reforming and increasing Medicare physician payment. With their party in total control, Republicans are expected to act quickly to try and achieve key campaign promises such as immigration reform and extension of expiring tax cuts.
A process known as budget reconciliation will be necessary to bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and could help provide a vehicle to include a fix for the 2.8% cut to Medicare physician payments that was left out of 2024 year-end funding legislation.
Congress will also have to act by March 14th to fund the government or risk a shutdown. ASRS and the medical community will be advocating that Congress use one of these vehicles to stop the cut and pass long-term reform that reflects the increased costs of providing care.
However, given the slim majorities in both houses of Congress and competing factions within the parties, all legislative battles will be hard fought. Retina specialists and physicians across medicine must be ready to stand up and speak on behalf of their profession and patients. Watch this newsletter and other ASRS publications for notice when we need your action. If you haven’t already signed up to be an advocate for ASRS please do so here. With your help, we can achieve our goals!
Published January 7, 2025