The association — which represents roughly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations — wrote that the approximate 3.3 percent reduction in payment from the calendar year 2023 levels would negatively affect both the financial stability of health systems and access to care for patients.
“Our concern is heightened by the fact that this cut is coming in the wake of over three years of unrelenting financial pressures on the health care system due to COVID-19, along with rising inflation, increasing input costs, and persisting staffing shortages and supply chain disruptions,” the letter said.
However, AHA did commend CMS for its proposals to extend many telehealth flexibilities from COVID-19 through 2024 while also encouraging the agency to work with Congress to establish permanent waiver provisions such as expanding telehealth eligibility to more practitioners.
