I appreciate what a difficult job doctors have, especially in the age of COVID-19, economic uncertainty and rising inflation. But practicing medicine will be even more difficult if Medicare enacts its proposed cut of some 4% to physician services. These cuts come on top of years of previous cumulative cuts, making it harder to provide care.
Now, when many patients who avoided regular health screenings due to COVID-19 are returning to getting care, is the wrong time for cuts. With lower reimbursement for Medicare services, practices will be under pressure to cut back on the number of Medicare patients they serve, limit services or reduce investment in new innovative technologies. Health screening helps save lives, but if access is cut and diagnoses are delayed, more Americans will face unnecessary suffering.
