Specialists Cry Foul on Medicare Reimbursement Cuts

When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid published its reimbursement rates for Fiscal 2013, one group of specialized medical professionals has complained it was caught unawares that reimbursements for tests would be cut by as much as 50 percent.

As Medicare reimbursements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are shifted and reduced, expect to see more professional groups defending their specialty against cuts. Neurologists have become the first speciality to protest, complaining to regulators that cuts in reimbursements for diagnostic tests, part of the Affordable Care Act’s shift of focus and revenues to primary care physicians, will cripple the profession.

Medicare estimates that reimbursements for neurology services will drop by 7 percent this fiscal year. “According to CMS, the reduction is a result of the potentially misvalued code initiative, which impacted EMG and nerve conduction tests,” according to a statement by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).