LUGPA Responds to Legislative Victories and Challenges in Omnibus Bill

Dec. 23, 2022

LUGPA Applauds Legislation to Advance the Field of Medicine and Calls for Further Advocacy Around Physician Payment Cuts 

LUGPA is pleased to see advancements to critical advocacy issues included in the omnibus bill that passed in the Senate yesterday and passed in the House today. 

LUGPA applauds the inclusion of the following in the omnibus bill:

• The Veterans’ Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act for passage
• The extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 2024

“LUGPA has long championed the Veterans’ Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act, since it was first introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn, M.D., in the U.S. House, and celebrates its enactment into law,” said Evan Goldfischer, M.D., president of LUGPA. “I applaud this landmark step forward in advancing prostate cancer treatment for numerous American heroes.”

This legislation will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a clinical pathway for prostate cancer, which is the most diagnosed cancer in the veterans’ health system. It also calls for a plan to provide continual funding for prostate cancer research through the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. Additionally, it will create a real-time registry to track patient progress and will allow patients greater access to clinical trials.

Another legislative victory in the federal government funding bill includes the extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities through the end of 2024. LUGPA will continue to work with others in the physician community and with patient groups to advance legislation that will make these critical telehealth flexibilities permanent.

Further Work Needed to Advocate for Medicare Physician Payment

Unfortunately, the omnibus bill also reduces the Medicare physician payment cut to 1.9%, as opposed to the 4.4% cut previously outlined in the Calendar Year 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).

“LUGPA shares in the extreme disappointment of all American physicians that Congress was unable to avoid the physician payment cut,” Goldfischer said. “The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is the only payment method within Medicare without an annual inflationary update, which is particularly destabilizing for clinicians who are small business owners. The long‐term consequence of this failure by Congress will be a decrease in patient access to care. LUGPA will continue to advocate on the Hill for much needed reform to Medicare physician payments.”

Throughout 2023 and beyond, LUGPA will continue its work to educate policymakers on the importance of integrated urologic care. Stay up to date on LUGPA’s health policy and advocacy efforts, including dates for LUGPA’s 2023 Capitol Hill visits, at www.lugpa.org/policy-advocacy.