Medicare PFS Payment STILL in Limbo

ASCP, the American Medical Association (AMA), and other medical societies are continuing efforts to get Congress to enact legislation to reform the budget neutrality policies applied to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). The reform is needed to provide stability to the PFS, which reimburses pathologists and laboratories for professional and technical services. Payment rates under the Medicare PFS were cut 3.4 percent on January 1. 

This year’s cut in the PFS is troubling, given recent increases in inflation and workforce shortages. As a result, PFS payment rates have been falling when adjusted for inflation, putting significant pressure on pathology practices and clinical laboratories. While ASCP, the AMA, and the rest of the medical community had several successes last year trying to reverse several cuts and restore several temporary “payment patches,” Congress did not enact legislation to eliminate the threat of cuts to the PFS for 2024.

However, over the last few months more than 200 members of Congress have co-signed a bipartisan letter urging congressional leaders to enact legislation to reverse the 2024 PFS cut. To capitalize on this momentum, ASCP urges all members, BOC credential holders, and others (even if you aren’t a physician) to use the AMA’s Fix Medicare Now website to urge their congressional representatives to fix this problem now.  Please write your elected officials in Washington now!!!

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