Cardiovascular Coalition Marks PAD Awareness Month by Urging Congress, CMS to Reverse Planned Cuts

September 1, 2021—The CardioVascular Coalition (CVC), an association of physicians, care providers, advocates, and manufacturers working to improve awareness and prevention of peripheral artery disease (PAD), announced that with the beginning of PAD Awareness Month, which is held annually in September, the organization has called on Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to address severe proposed cuts to specialty provider services in order to help increase access to care.

CVC noted that CMS recently proposed cutting payments for revascularization services by approximately 23% in the proposed Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Rule for calendar year 2022.

According to CVC, the proposed cuts are being driven by a provision that purports to update clinical labor data. The cuts would have a severe impact on cardiology, vascular surgery, venous, radiation oncology, and radiology practices. The coalition noted that approximately 20 million Americans are impacted by PAD, including an estimated 200,000 individuals who undergo preventable amputations every year because of complications from the chronic disease. CVC seeks to ensure patients’ access to vascular care that is shown to improve quality of life, reduce care costs, and prevent limb loss.

In its press release, CVC stated that outpatient health services—including revascularization—are cost-effective and convenient for patients. CVC advised, “[T]he proposed cuts would have profoundly negative effects on patient access and health equity. If the proposed cuts are finalized as currently proposed, Medicare beneficiaries will face more serious risks of limb loss.”

The CVC advised that access to revascularization therapies is especially vital to the African American, Hispanic, and Native American populations who are two to four times more likely to undergo a limb amputation due to PAD because of the increased prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and other risk factors.

“As we recognize PAD Awareness Month and the major impact that PAD has on Americans—particularly people of color—I’m deeply troubled by CMS’ flawed proposal to cut vital services like revascularization by as much as 23%,” commented CVC Board Member Jeff Carr, MD, in the announcement. “At a time when America is suffering a PAD and amputation crisis on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is absolutely critical to ensure patients’ continued access to the services that are proven to help prevent amputations and slow disease progression. Unless Congress and CMS act to address these proposed cuts, I fear that it will be harder for patients to access necessary care, resulting in even more amputations, worse outcomes, and even greater health care disparities.”

Dr. Carr continued, “To address the issues of patient access and systemic health inequity in our country, CMS must reverse course and not finalize the clinical labor policy in the 2022 PFS Proposed Rule. Further, CMS should work closely with Congress to fundamentally reform the PFS so that any future unjustified cuts to specialty provider services can be avoided.”