MMA Leadership Meet with Congressional Delegation Members

February 17, 2022

Three members of the MMA Board of Trustees and MMA staff met virtually this week with members of Minnesota’s Congressional delegation to discuss telehealth coverage, prior authorization hassles, and the need for stable Medicare physician payments. 

Attending the meetings were: MMA President Randy Rice, MD, Board Chair Edwin Bogonko, MD, and Trustee Kim Tjaden, MD, MPH, along with Janet Silversmith, MMA’s CEO and Dave Renner, MMA’s director of advocacy. They met with Sen. Tina Smith, Rep. Betty McCollum, and Rep. Dean Phillips, and with staff members from the offices of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Pete Stauber, and Rep. Angie Craig. 

Without action by Congress, the expanded Medicare coverage for telehealth services ends when the public health emergency is over. This expanded coverage removed the narrow definition that only allowed Medicare to cover telehealth in rural parts of the country and required patients to go to a clinic or hospital to receive these services.   

“The expanded telehealth coverage has been a godsend during the pandemic,” said Rice. “What we found out is that many services can be provided via video and telephone, and the patients like it. It would be disaster to revert to the old rules.” The “CONNECT for Health Act” (HR 2903/S. 1512) would make this Medicare telehealth coverage permanent. 

The physicians also shared stories of the continued and growing hassles they face with prior authorization requirements in the Medicare Advantage plans.   

“What used to be used for expensive or cutting-edge services is now being required for routine procedures we do in the office all the time,” said Tjaden. “These hassles make no sense and result in delayed, or, in some cases, lack of care being provided. Our seniors need protections to make sure they can get the care they need.”   

Legislation has been introduced in Congress, the “Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act” (HR 3173/S. 3018) that reduces unnecessary delays in Medicare by streamlining prior authorization requirements. 

Finally, the physicians stressed the need for Congress to provide stable, reliable Medicare physician payment updates each year.   

“Over the last 20 years, physician payments have increased only 11%, while the CPI has grown 51% and Medicare Economic Index has grown 39% over that same period,” said Bogonko. “An increase of only .5% each year results in payments being cut 20% when inflation is included. This cannot continue.” 

Originally these meetings with the Congressional delegation were scheduled as part of the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference that was cancelled because of COVID.