News – CHICAGO – Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (SOCCA), and Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) sent a formal communication to Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Chief House Majority Leaders Charles Schumer and House Minority Leaders Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, urging them to take immediate action to end pending cuts to Medicare physician payments.
Medical organizations have called on Congress to block everything pending payment reductions for critical care services and other physician services. Without congressional action, the cuts will take effect on January 1, 2023.
“Critical Care Physicians provide advanced care, specialized monitoring, and high-level sophisticated medical care to patients with life-threatening medical conditions,” said ASA President Michael W. Champeau, MD, FASA . “It is essential that Congress support the health care leadership consistently demonstrated by these professionals.
“Congress must work to ensure that there is sufficient economic support, particularly from Medicare, to ensure patient access to high-quality critical care services,” said SOCCA President, Michael H. Wall, MD, FCCM, FASA.
“In recent years, critical care medicine has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for some of the most medically challenging patients seen since the critical care specialty was established, particularly patients with Medicare risk with multiple diseases or medical conditions. in high-risk environments,” said SCCM President Sandra L. Kane-Gill, PharmD, MSc, FCCM.
The communication notes that “Medicare payments for critical care services are already broken. Payment freezes and meager updates over the years have resulted in current payment rates being insufficient. In the current economic context of high inflation, this is even more true. We find it unthinkable that Congress would consider cutting Medicare payments for intensive care and other medical services.
Read the letter for more details about critical care doctors’ concerns about the proposed payment reductions.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is a teaching, research, and scientific society with more than 56,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. The ASA is committed to ensuring that physician anesthesiologists assess and supervise patients’ medical care before, during, and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care that every patient deserves.
For more information about the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit asahq.org/madeforthismoment. Like ASA on Facebook and follow ASALifeline on Twitter.
ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF CRITICAL CARE ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
The Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists is dedicated to the support and development of anesthetists who care for critically ill patients of all types. SOCCA promotes the knowledge and practice of critical care medicine by anesthesiologists through education, research, advocacy, and community.
For more information about SOCCA, please visit www.socca.org.
ABOUT THE CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE SOCIETY
The Society of Critical Care Medicine is the largest nonprofit medical organization dedicated to promoting excellence and consistency in critical care practice. With members in over 100 countries, SCCM is the only organization that represents all professional components of the critical care team. The Society offers a variety of activities that ensure excellence in patient care, education, research and advocacy. SCCM’s mission is to ensure the highest quality care for all critically ill and injured patients.
For more information about SCCM, please visit the Society of Critical Care online at www.SCCM.ORG.
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