Indiana Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD, told the American Hospital Association that Medicare reimbursement cuts could be at least partially reversed in Congress' next spending package, Roll Call reported Feb. 13.
CMS' 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule went into effect Jan. 1, updating the Medicare conversion factor to $32.74, a 3.4% decrease from last year. The cut has been criticized by physicians. AMA President Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, in November called the cut a "recipe for financial instability."
Dr. Bucshon said he is unsure if the full 3.4% will be restored, but he added that "people in both political parties and on both sides of the Capitol know this has to be fixed," according to the report.
He said he is hopeful the cuts can be reversed in the next funding bill, according to the report. The current stopgap funding bill expires in two parts, the first on March 1 and the second on March 8.
"We are interacting with the leadership on both sides of the aisle," Dr. Bucshon said, according to the report. "I think we'll get most of those cuts mitigated at the end of this month or in March."