Advocacy in Action

CMS Releases Annual Physician Payment Proposed Rule; Physician Payment Reform Legislation Introduced in the House 

On July 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule. The Society is currently reviewing the rule and its impact on endocrinology. Below are some highlights based on our initial review: 

• Overall Payment - While the proposal is expected to result in a 2.5% decrease in reimbursement for all physicians, CMS estimates that policies in the rule would result in a 2.5% increase for the endocrinology specialty. Positive changes in overall Medicare payment for endocrinology services are likely because changes in the use of G2211, and other proposals that favor non-procedural practitioners over procedural practitioners. 
• Code G2211 - The agency has proposed transitioning the G2211 complex care code into a MOD1 modifier code. This new modifier code will have the same descriptor as G2211 and can be reported and billed in the same way as the G-code. The modifier, when appended to an appropriate E/M code, will be reimbursed at 16% of the value of the billed E/M code. 
• Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) - The rule also proposed to increase the reimbursement rate of FNA. The Society has advocated for increasing the FNA reimbursement rate and we are pleased the agency is proposing this change. 
• Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) - CMS has proposed that practitioners who provide remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) services must first conduct a separately reportable initiating visit (either in-person or via telehealth) prior to starting RPM and RTM.

CMS has posted a fact sheet on the rule on their website. We will provide Endocrine Society members with an in-depth analysis of the rule in the coming weeks. Every year, CMS requests our feedback on their proposed changes, and we respond by submitting a comment letter to the agency. Comments are due on September 14th.

In addition, on July 15 the bipartisan chairs of the GOP and Democratic Doctors Caucus introduced the Patients First Act, which would make reforms to Medicare Physician Payment. This legislation would provide an annual inflationary update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). The legislation would provide an increase of MEI minus 1%. The Society has urged the sponsors of the bill to ensure that endocrinologists and other non-procedural specialists who bill E/M services are supported in this proposal. We will continue to advocate for legislation ensuring that endocrinologists and other specialties are adequately reimbursed for the care they provide. We will continue to keep you updated on this important issue.

Senate HELP Committee to Consider the INSULIN Act; Take Action Now on Campaign

On Wednesday July 22, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to consider the INSULIN Act, bipartisan legislation that would make insulin more affordable for people with private insurance and for some people who are uninsured. The Society is very pleased to see this legislation advancing in the US Senate as we have worked against all odds to advance this legislation through our advocacy.  We will continue to work closely with the bill sponsors to pass this important bill. Our advocacy is helping to build momentum for this legislation, but we need your help to contact your Senators and urge them to support this important bill.

We urge all Endocrine Society members to take action through our online campaign and ask their Senators to support and pass the INSULIN Act.

The Endocrine Society Endorses National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap 

This week, the Endocrine Society joined more than 20 professional medical, patient advocacy, and research organizations to endorse the National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap. The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) unveiled the National Strategy to Close the Women’s Health Gap, a bold framework calling on Congress to invest $20 billion over 10 years to transform women’s health research, care, and outcomes. Women comprise more than half the US population, yet for decades women’s health has been understudied and underserved. This strategy recommends prioritizing Research and Innovation, Regulatory Coordination and Modernization, Data and Evidence Infrastructure, Bolstering the Women's Health Clinical and Research Workforce, and Public Awareness and Education.  

Endocrinologists play an important role in ensuring that women’s health is focused on the correct balance of hormones. We are encouraged to see this collaborative effort to close the women’s health gap and advance evidence-based care and proud to be one of the first endorsers. The Society will continue to advocate for improving and protecting access to care for women through better funding and research to address gaps in endocrine health.