The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently issued a scathing rebuttal to the 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) put forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The AAOS believes the proposed rule changes and fee adjustments would threaten patient access to quality care and make it even harder for solo practitioners to thrive. The group is pushing CMS to maintain the current 2026 values and work with physicians to develop a more stable approach to Medicare physician payment.
Medicare Payment Problems
Many physician practices across the country are struggling to stay afloat as a result of rising costs and years of Medicare payment instability, and we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that some of these issues played into the decision to pursue a more collaborative approach to medicine instead of continuing on with Silverman Ankle & Foot. It’s not surprising that so many other hardworking orthopaedic specialists are running into similar issues with Medicare payments and increased operating costs, and hopefully the changes pitched by CMS do not come to fruition. As the AAOS said in their letter, physician practices cannot absorb significant reimbursement cuts year after year without consequences for patient access.
“CMS cannot continue to erode physician payment year after year and expect patient access to remain intact,” said Wilford K. Gibson, MD, FAAOS, president of AAOS. “Private practice orthopaedic surgeons are on the front lines of delivering efficient, high-quality care in communities across the country. This proposal threatens that model, accelerates consolidation and makes it harder for surgeons to continue caring for Medicare patients. AAOS is calling on CMS to press pause, maintain the 2026 values and work with physicians on a policy that reflects the true cost and complexity of musculoskeletal care.”
According to the AAOS, orthopaedics remains one of the last major physician specialties where independent practice remains viable. These independent options actually provide patients with more access to care while also helping to keep patient costs down. When care shifts to only larger health systems, which may happen if Medicare costs push the independent clinics out of business, patients will be faced with:
- Higher costs
- Fewer care choices
- Longer wait times
It’s clear that policymakers don’t truly understand how the cuts and the regulatory changes they are proposing will impact actual lives. Clinical judgment must be at the forefront of care decisions and policy changes. It’s clear that the proposed changes do not better serve patients or provider, and the whole healthcare system will be worse off if the payment schedule goes into effect.
This proposed payment schedule is a danger to private practices all across America, and people will lose access to quality and timely medical care should it become rule. Here’s hoping a smarter proposal prevails.