The Surgical Care Coalition issued a statement advocating for the nation's older adults in response to Congress' proposed $1.7 trillion year-end spending bill, saying the legislation will adversely affect that population.
The coalition is a national organization representing more than 180,000 surgeons and anesthesiologists of all specialties that aims to improve patient care in the U.S., according to a Dec. 20 news release from the organization.
The 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill narrows the planned nearly 4.5 percent cut to the Medicare physician fee schedule that was set to take effect in 2023 to a cut of 2 percentage points in the year ahead, with a scheduled cut of 3.25 percentage points in 2024.
"Despite overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support to stop the full Medicare physician payment cut, Congress failed once again to end the cycle of harmful Medicare cuts, showing a disregard for vulnerable seniors," the organization said in the release. "To make matters worse, Congress is also affirming substantial payment cuts in 2024. The draft omnibus legislation demonstrates a lack of commitment to our nation's seniors and continues to put off a long-term solution."
The group urged Congress to fully stop the cuts to protect patient care.