AAO Opposes MedPAC's Medicare Proposal

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), independent Congressional advisory committee for the Medicare program, late last week introduced a proposal to fix the formula used to establish Medicare physician pay that includes an 18 percent cut in reimbursement for specialists (5.9 percent for three years), followed by a seven-year freeze at the reduced level. Over the past decade, freezes in Medicare reimbursement have already meant physician fees have lagged inflation by about 16 percent, according to a press release from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. While the American Academy of Ophthalmology is encouraged that MedPAC recognizes the critical need for a new Medicare pay formula for physicians that protects patients' access to quality medical care, the Academy strongly opposes the MedPAC proposal.Read more.