A group of 113 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Biden and House and Senate leadership to prevent looming Medicare cuts from going into effect, including the 4 percent statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester.
The letter said the 2 percent Medicare sequester cut that went into effect in July, coupled with the impending PAYGO sequestration and the 4.47 percent cut to the Medicare conversion factor, will "impact the ability of providers to care for their patients."
"In fact, we have heard from provider organizations that if these additional Medicare cuts are not prevented, medical groups and integrated systems of care would be forced to eliminate services, furlough staff, implement hiring freezes, and delay population health initiatives," the letter stated. "Congress must ensure that Medicare providers continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation's seniors who rely on Medicare."
Without congressional action, providers will face cuts of more than 10 percent to Medicare payments on Jan. 1, including the 2 percent sequestration policy already in effect, according to the letter. The signees are urging congressional intervention to prevent the entirety of the cuts, stating anything short of that is "still a cut that hurts providers and the patients that they treat."