July 23, 2021 — The National Association of Spine Specialists (NASS) joined with over 100 health care provider groups to urge Congress to continue protecting patients' access to essential health care services by maintaining the 3.75% increase to the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Conversion Factor (CF) through 2022 and 2023. Click here to read the full letter.

While this step is essential to meeting the immediate health needs of Medicare beneficiaries, Congress must also recognize the need for structural reforms to the MPFS system, including addressing the budget neutrality requirement, which can lead to arbitrary reductions to reimbursement unrelated to the cost of providing care.

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the proposed rule for the 2022 MPFS. CMS is proposing to cut the Medicare CF for CY2022 by 3.75%. This reduction is largely a result of the expiration of the 3.75 percent increase for services furnished in CY 2021, as provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 enacted by Congress in December 2020.