HNF recently signed on to a coalition letter, which included 98 other organizations, to urge reconsideration of cuts to Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement for EDX procedures. tests which are critical for early diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth. It’s time to act! We need you to contact your members of Congress today to tell them to protect the future of electrodiagnostic and neuromuscular medicine. Ask them to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL) and C.A. Dutch Ruppersperger (D-MD). This letter will be sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to express concern about the impact of the reimbursement cuts for EMG and nerve conduction studies (NCS) by more than 50% beginning January 1, 2013.
On November 1, CMS announced in the 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that it will severely reduce payment for EMG and NCS. This decision left affected physicians with only 60 days to prepare for these significant cuts and no opportunity to provide official comment in advance of the final rule. The Dear Colleague letter expresses concern about the process used and the limited notice given to physicians using these tests. It also addresses the impact these decisions will have on patient care.
To maximize the impact of this letter, we need as many members of Congress to sign on as possible. Step up to the challenge—tell your story and ask your representatives to sign on today!
Send a letter now!
- Add your story to the template letter for your representative (see letter bellow)
- Identify contact information for your representative.
- Send your letter.
Stay tuned! We will be asking you to write a letter to your Senators as soon as we identify a Senator to lead the charge.
Letter to Representative
Subject: Protect the Future of Electrodiagnostic and Neuromuscular Medicine
Dear [Decision Maker],
As your constituent, I stand with dozens of medical associations, patient groups, and institutions urging you to sign a very important letter. The Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Representatives Peter Roskam (R-IL) and C.A. Dutch Ruppersperger (D-MD) asks the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reevaluate its decision to reduce reimbursement for procedures performed by electrodiagnostic (EDX) physicians beginning January 1, 2013.
These unprecedented cuts result in more than a 50% reduction in reimbursement for EDX procedures, which will have a severe negative impact on patients, physicians, and employees of physicians’ practices. The announcement of these cuts on November 1 leaves physicians and practices only 60 days to prepare for them and gave no opportunity for public comment before announcing the final rule.
The drastic cuts will limit access to care, delay diagnosis of neuromuscular disease, and may result in more costly, unnecessary procedures. They will severely impact the most critically ill patients and those that present with complex symptoms. Early diagnosis is crucial for patients with ALS, muscular dystrophy, and other neuromuscular diseases. The cuts will undermine the chance EDX studies are performed, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment.
[Physicians and technologists: Please add personalized statement about how the cuts will impact your patients, your practice and your ability to provide care]
By signing the Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Reps. Roskam and Ruppersperger, you will encourage CMS to reevaluate its decision to implement the cuts that will have such a negative impact on diagnosis and treatment of patients with neuromuscular disorders.
Thank you for your attention and dedication to protecting the future of EDX medicine and, more important, the patients it serves.
Sincerely,
[Name]
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