Chester County Medicine Winter 2021 - 8

www.CHESTERCMS.org

AMA Advocacy Update
continued from page 7

H.R. 8840, the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act, on
Dec. 2. This legislation extends the current sequester moratorium
through the end of the PHE to provide physicians with a financial
boost so they can continue to navigate the pandemic and deliver
effective patient care.

CMS finalizes rule overhauling the organ
procurement system
On Nov. 20, CMS issued a Final Rule overhauling the organ
procurement system. The Final Rule establishes minimum quality
measure thresholds that organ procurement centers must meet in
order to receive payments from CMS. These new measures, which
will replace organ procurement organization (OPO) self-reported
data, aim to incentivize the procurement and transplantation of as
many organs as possible.
The rule follows the July 2019 Executive Order on Advancing
American Kidney Health that prioritized the development of
policies designed to increase the supply of donated organs and
reduce the number of people on waitlists. Performance data will
be available to the public in order to identify OPOs that are in
the bottom quartile in donation and transplantation rates and to
encourage performance improvement.

Bipartisan House legislation extends Medicare
sequester moratorium
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to rage throughout
the United States, securing additional financial relief from the
federal government remains crucial to physicians. Whether on
the front lines treating COVID-19 patients or curbing nonemergent procedures to limit community spread and preserve
personal protective equipment (PPE), physicians continue to face
immense clinical, fiscal and emotional challenges. To help alleviate
some of the financial burden of the pandemic, Representatives
Brad Schneider (D-IL) and David McKinley (R-WV) introduced

8 CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine | WINTER 2021

The passage of the Budget Control Act of 2011 initiated the
2% across-the-board reduction in Medicare physician payments.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)
Act temporarily suspended the 2% sequestration adjustment on
Medicare fee-for-service payments between May 1 and Dec. 31.
Absent additional Congressional intervention, the 2% sequester
is scheduled to be restored on Jan. 1. In response to this looming
deadline, AMA, along with the American Hospital Association,
American Health Care Association, and the National Association
for Home Care and Hospice, sent a letter in October to House
and Senate leadership urging continued reprieve from the
sequester. More recently, AMA joined more than 30 diverse health
care stakeholders in a November letter urging Congress extend the
sequester moratorium.
The continued negative fiscal impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on physician practices is undeniable. Results from
an AMA-commissioned survey of 3,500 practicing physicians
conducted from mid-July through August 2020 found that 81%
of respondents are still experiencing lower revenue than before the
pandemic. In fact, survey respondents reported an average revenue
reduction of 32%. Extending the sequester moratorium will
help physicians continue to provide high quality care throughout
the remainder of this public health crisis. AMA applauds Reps.
Schneider and McKinley for introducing this bipartisan bill and
will continue to advocate for its inclusion in a larger legislative
package that Congress is expected to pass before the end of the
year.
Chester County Medicine Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chester County Medicine Winter 2021
