SCAI’s Government Relations Committee Outlines Efforts to Fight Cuts in Medicare Proposed Fee Schedule

August 25, 2021—The Government Relations Committee of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has posted a brief overview of the cuts related to interventional cardiology from the Medicare Proposed Fee Schedule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The overview addresses the following matters:

• Calendar year (CY) 2022 Conversion Factor.
• CY 2022 Proposed Codes for Vascular and Revascularization Cuts.
• Clinical Labor Cost.
• CY 2022 Proposed Codes, Valuation of Specific Codes.
• Telehealth Services.

CY 2022 Conversion Factor. SCAI will urge CMS to maintain the 3.75% increase (from 2021) through at least CY 2023. SCAI will file comments in September urging CMS to continue to waive the budget neutrality adjustment because of the uncertainty of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. SCAI is actively working with the American Medical Association and other specialty physician coalitions and is signing on to letters to Congress opposing the increase. The announcement on the SCAI website provides a link to access the table containing the Vascular Codes affected by these Clinical Labor Cuts.

CY 2022 Proposed Codes for Vascular and Revascularization Cuts. SCAI will strongly urge CMS to reverse the proposed payment cuts, estimated as high as 20% to 30%, to revascularization services in the proposed rule by CMS. SCAI will emphasize that CMS not only risks creating worse outcomes for patients but also increases the likelihood of higher health spending, increases health system consolidation, and extends persistent health care inequities.

SCAI noted that approximately 85% of amputations in the United States are preventable when patients with peripheral artery disease have access to timely vascular care and revascularization services. Despite the life-changing impact of preserving patients’ limbs, the proposed cutting of payments to a variety of specialty providers that treat patients with vascular disease would result in dire consequences for patient access.

SCAI is part of the CardioVascular Coalition (CVC) that is fighting the cuts. SCAI has launched an SCAI-member effort to support the “Dear Colleague” letter written by US Representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) and Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL) to their fellow Members of Congress, urging CMS not to implement these severe cuts to vascular services. View the letter here.

Clinical Labor Cost. SCAI has been participating in the CVC with key medical societies to draft appropriate language regarding the Clinical Labor cost that will bring steep cuts for vascular interventions. Additionally, language is being developed send a similar message to CMS regarding the cuts.

CY 2022 Proposed Codes, Valuation of Specific Codes. SCAI will support CMS’s decision to accept the Relative-Value Update Committee (RUC) recommended values for new codes for Percutaneous Cerebral Embolic Protection and Exclusion of Left Atrial Appendage. SCAI will strongly recommend that CMS accept the RUC recommended values for new codes for Endovascular Repair of Aortic Coarctation and Cardiac Catheterization for Congenital Defects.

Telehealth Services. SCAI will commend CMS on their proposal to retain all services that were added to the Medicare Telehealth Services list until the end of CY 2023 and will urge CMS to allow continued access to these telehealth services after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.