AHA Statement on Senate Passage of Medicare Sequester Relief Legislation

Rick Pollack
President and CEO
American Hospital Association

December 9, 2021

The AHA appreciates that the Senate, on a bipartisan basis, has joined the House in halting harmful and imminent Medicare cuts to hospitals and physicians. Eliminating a 2% Medicare reduction until April 2022 and then lowering the cut to 1% for an additional three months, and stopping the 4% Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Medicare cuts from taking effect next year, removes the uncertainty these cuts were creating for our nation’s caregivers. Additionally, we are pleased that Congress lowered reductions to payments to physicians, delayed harmful cuts to clinical laboratories, and pushed back implementation of the Radiation Oncology model.

We will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that all hospitals, health systems and caregivers have the resources and support they need to continue battling COVID-19 while also providing the other essential care and services their patients and communities depend on each day.

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Contact:        Colin Milligan, (202) 638-5491, cmilligan@aha.org
                      Marie Johnson, (202) 626-2351, mjohnson@aha.org