The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is urging its members to contact their representatives in the U.S. Congress to scale back cuts proposed by Medicare in reimbursement for radiation oncology services.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed changes to the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) that could lead to major cuts in payments for radiation oncology. CMS is also proposing a new Radiation Oncology Model (RO Model) system that would bundle radiation therapy payments.
ASTRO is urging its members to contact their U.S. representatives and ask them to sign on to a letter sponsored by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) that urges CMS to scale back the cuts in the RO Model and MPFS. ASTRO has posted a version of the letter on its website.
If the cuts aren't rolled back, CMS warned that the radiation oncology community could face cuts of up to $300 million, starting in January 2022.
