Medicare physician payment reform
Ask the Expert
By Apoorva Stull, Senior Manager, Advocacy Communications, August 1, 2024
DermWorld interviews Melissa Piliang, MD, FAAD, chair of the Council on Government Affairs and Health Policy, about the AADA’s top advocacy priority for 2024: Medicare physician payment reform.
DermWorld: Why did the AADA decide that Medicare physician payment reform would be the sole federal congressional advocacy priority for 2024?
DermWorld: Why is Medicare physician payment reform important to AADA members?
Dr. Piliang: Medicare physician payments affect all AADA members, regardless of how they practice. Medicare connects our seniors and other vulnerable populations with critical health care. Any cuts to physician payments threaten or cut off health care access to patient care. Right now, AADA members are in a bind. They are working hard to provide high-quality dermatologic care to their patients but are struggling to keep their small, independent practices open in the face of declining reimbursement.
The AADA wants Congress to provide physicians with more resources and greater flexibility to deliver appropriate care to their patients than they have today, improve the financial viability of physician practices in all specialties, and help independent practices of all sizes remain independent.
DermWorld: What can AADA members do to ensure that Congress acts to reform the Medicare physician payment system?
Dr. Piliang: The AADA encourages our members to contact their members of Congress and urge them to take action to reform the Medicare physician payment system with a positive annual inflation adjustment to the Medicare physician fee schedule and eliminate budget neutrality requirements to the physician payment system.
AADA members have the power to influence their federal legislators on this important matter. The AADA supports the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474) and the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act (H.R. 6371).
The AADA encourages our members to take action and to ask their federal legislators to support these bills in the House of Representatives and encourage similar legislation in the Senate. Go to takeaction.aad.org and ask your federal policymaker to reform Medicare physician payments.
DermWorld: How else can AADA members get involved in advocacy?
Dr. Piliang: While we are advocating on your behalf, I would also urge you to sign up for AADA grassroots alerts at takeaction.aad.org. You can also make plans to attend the AADA Legislative Conference. An important way for you to become involved in advocacy would be to support our grassroots efforts throughout the year. This is particularly important regarding the Medicare payment issue. We need every Academy member to help in our advocacy. If you haven’t already been involved, we need your help. Go to takeaction.aad.org to respond to alerts and consider becoming a key contact.
Invite your representative or senator to a practice visit to see the challenges you and your patients face every day. To get involved or for more information, email grassroots@aad.org.
Melissa Piliang, MD, FAAD, is the chair of the Academy’s Council on Government Affairs and Health Policy.
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