Proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule recognizes value of vision care
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Proposed changes to the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule may benefit the field of optometry, according to the American Optometric Association.
“Physicians of all types, including doctors of optometry, have long been impacted by stagnant Medicare reimbursement, the nation’s largest payer,” Deanna Alexander, OD FAAO, chair of the AOA Federal Relations Committee, told Healio. “The AOA has consistently advocated for CMS to address this challenge that has remained, despite the costs of care continuing to rise year over year. AOA has also urged CMS to include doctors of optometry in accountable care organizations.”
According to Alexander, the proposal includes plans to develop a new program to fund expansions of accountable care organizations, including vision care. The CMS also accepted the Relative Value Scale Update Committee-recommended values for OCT and is proposing to separate measure sets for optometry and ophthalmology.
However, the proposals also include a 2.8% to 2.93% physician pay cut, she noted, which would cause the relative value unit for services to fall from $33.29 to $32.36.
“CMS’ physician pay cut proposal is clearly concerning as it ignores the real-world challenges that physicians face in providing valued patient care,” Alexander said. “The costs to deliver care continue to increase, especially in regard to staffing and overhead costs, yet Medicare reimbursement has remained stagnant. The AOA will continue to advocate for real, long-term solutions, not patches, to address this problem.”
A public comment period on the proposed changes will remain open until Sept. 9, with final rules set to be announced in winter 2024. According to Alexander, the AOA plans to submit comments expressing concern for the proposed cuts, as well as appreciation for the progress made in the proposal. The organization is also backing H.R. 2474, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which would create a permanent, annual update equal to the increase in the Medicare economic index.
Reference:
- Physician fee schedule. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician. Published July 12, 2024. Accessed Aug. 13, 2024.
For more information:
Deanna Alexander, OD, FAAO, is chair of the AOA Federal Relations Committee and a partner at Eyecare Associates in Fort Collins, Colorado. She can be reached at (970) 221-4811.
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