The American College of Radiology (ACR) has joined with 62 other organizations in urging the U.S. Congress to boost Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) payments by $3 billion for 2022 to support the nation's further recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The call came in a letter released April 27.
Without additional financial support, recovery from the pandemic will be compromised, the ACR warned, signing the letter along with the American College of Radiation Oncology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Neuroradiology, the Society of Interventional Radiology, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and many other professional groups.
"We ... urge Congress and the Administration to make a critical investment in the nation's healthcare infrastructure by providing an additional $3 billion for the MPFS to once again mitigate expected reductions to the Medicare conversion factor, ensuring financial stability for physicians and practices in 2022," the letter stated. "By maintaining this level of funding -- which equates to a 3.75% increase for all payments across the fee schedule -- healthcare providers can continue to focus on addressing patient backlogs and continue to identify effective treatments for patients impacted by 'long-haul' COVID-19 symptoms."
