Bill Postponing Medicare Cuts Expected to Become Law

UPDATE (4/14/2021): President Biden has signed into law.

Congress has passed a bill that will postpone the 2% cuts in Medicare Part B reimbursement through the remainder of 2021, pending President Biden’s signature into law. The action extends a moratorium preventing reductions in reimbursement for audiology and speech-language pathology services, which were scheduled for implementation on April 1. The planned reimbursement cuts were the result of a 2011 law requiring automatic reductions in programs, such as Medicare, to impose fiscal restraint on federal spending, referred to as sequestration.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced [PDF] that it would temporarily hold claims for dates of service on or after April 1 to avoid reprocessing claims and creating confusion for clinicians in anticipation of congressional action on the bill. The bill extends the moratorium throughout 2021 and is retroactive to April 1. Clinicians should contact their local Medicare administrative contractor for questions about specific claims.

ASHA advocated to stop these cuts through meetings with House and Senate members, supporting members of Congress [PDF] who introduced legislation, signing letters [PDF] urging extension of the moratorium, and participating in coalition efforts [PDF] to delay the cuts through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. ASHA is pleased that Congress took action to delay the cuts, which will allow additional time to advocate for a long-term solution.

Questions?

ASHA’s website provides extensive information on the Medicare fee schedule for audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Contact reimbursement@asha.org for questions about Medicare payment and coverage of audiology and speech-language pathology services.