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Opinion

Miller: Congress must block cuts to doctors’ Medicare payments

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As a physician of 25 years, I take great pride in the resilience and perseverance my colleagues have continually demonstrated in the wake of the global pandemic.

Despite the challenges placed on us by an overloaded health care system, my colleagues and I have remained steadfast in our mission to provide our patients, some of the nation’s most vulnerable, with the care that they absolutely deserve.

Unfortunately, we could soon face a new and unnecessary obstacle in the form of a Medicare physician payment cut. On Jan. 1, 2022, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will institute a payment cut, which has the potential to be disastrous for the U.S. health care system as we know it.

This cut will undoubtedly impact our nation’s most vulnerable patients and represents an approximate 10% reduction in payments for health care services provided to patients covered by Medicare.

The good news is that Congress has the power to delay these cuts indefinitely, and it’s imperative that they do. In the wake of the pandemic, physicians are facing financial instability, which is leading to many medical practices to shut their doors and turn away our nation’s most vulnerable patients.

Which is why it’s absolutely crucial that lawmakers support our physicians’ ability to provide care to patients and ensure that our healthcare system remains robust both now and in the future.

Thank you.