Newswise — Washington, DC—Today, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) commend members of the U.S. House of Representatives for introducing the critical legislation aimed at halting Medicare payment cuts for physician payments in 2025. This legislation would prospectively, effective April 1 through December 31, 2025, stop, in full, the 2.83% cut physicians received on January 1, 2025. The legislation also provides physicians with an additional 2% payment increase to help reflect rising costs pertaining to running a practice.
This bipartisan effort, led by U.S. Representatives Greg Murphy, MD, (R-N.C.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD, (R-Iowa), Kim Schrier, MD, (D-Wash.), John Joyce, MD, (R-Pa.), Raul Ruiz, MD, (D-Calif.), Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Ami Bera, MD, (D-Calif.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) was introduced today.
“Congress must act swiftly to pass this legislation to stabilize the Medicare payment system,” said Alexander A. Khalessi, MD MBA, chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee. “I commend our legislative champions for prioritizing this critical issue and value their collaboration with House and Senate leaders to address the cascading impact of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule changes on the U.S. health system. These trends have driven consolidation and limited access to care for America’s seniors. Neurosurgery is committed to working with Congress to develop sustainable, long-term solutions that foster a patient-centered health care future.”
In November 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized changes to the , which included a 2.83% reduction in physician payments beginning January 1. Enacting this legislation would reverse the nearly 3% cut, addressing the immediate crisis facing Medicare providers and the patients they serve.
The payment challenges stem from a reimbursement methodology that fails to account for rising inflation, increasing practice expenses, and the growing complexity of patient care. The current system lacks mechanisms to incentivize quality improvements or innovation, perpetuating financial instability and undermining the sustainability of physician practices.
To read the bill sponsors’ press release, .
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The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), founded in 1931, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), founded in 1951, are the two largest scientific and educational associations for neurosurgical professionals in the world. These groups represent over 10,000 neurosurgeons worldwide. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system, including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves. For more information, please visit , , and .
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