In This Issue:Specialtydocs Support Bill to Provide Inflationary Update to Medicare Physician Payment
Congress Advances Sunscreen Reform to Strengthen Skin Cancer Prevention (Specialty Spotlight)
Alliance Submits Comments on MACRA Modernization to House Doctors Caucuses
Retina Specialists Highlight a Growing Threat to Patient Access
A CUT BY ANY OTHER NAME: SPECIALTY DOCS SIGN LETTER TO ADDRESS MEDICARE PROPOSAL ON “EFFICIENCY ADJUSTMENTS”
The Alliance of Specialty Medicine joined 33 signers in a letter to the bipartisan leadership of the US House and Senate, protesting the recently finalized rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which will result in a 2.5% reduction in payments in 2026, with additional reductions likely every 3 years indefinitely, due what CMS categorizes as an “efficiency adjustment” that will apply to billing codes for “non-time-based services” such as surgery, diagnostic imaging interpretation, outpatient care, interventional pain management and orthopedic services.
In the opinions of many medical societies, including the Alliance, this “efficiency adjustment” will lead to further reductions in reimbursement for physician services and have wide-ranging consequences, including significant financial pressures that could limit patient access to medical care, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. Accordingly, the letter asks for Congressional intervention to address the actions by CMS, which will result in yet another cut to Medicare physician reimbursements.
SPECIALTY DOCS SUPPORT BILL TO PROVIDE INFLATIONARY UPDATE TO MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT
The Alliance of Specialty Medicine wrote a letter in support of H.R. 6160, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which would provide an annual
inflationary update for Medicare physician payment tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).
Because of the year-over-year reductions in Medicare reimbursements over the past several years, more and more physician practices have been forced to take drastic measures, such as limiting the number of Medicare patients they see, consolidating with larger hospital or health care systems, which increases costs to the Medicare program, or retiring early and permanently closing their doors.
The bill has been introduced by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and offers a permanent solution to address the systemic issues with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. You can read the full letter by clicking on the link below.
Alliance Letter in Support of HR 6160 Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act
Congress Advances Sunscreen Reform to
Strengthen Skin Cancer Prevention
Congress has passed long-awaited sunscreen reform legislation that modernizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) outdated review process and will help expand Americans’ access to safe, effective, and innovative sunscreen ingredients widely used around the world. The SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act (H.R. 3686), was signed into law on November 13, 2025, and marks a significant step forward in strengthening the nation’s skin cancer prevention efforts amid rising rates of melanoma and other skin cancers.
The new law allows the FDA to consider real-world evidence, non-animal testing data, and other modern scientific methods when evaluating ultraviolet (UV) filters for approval. It also pauses pending administrative orders until they can be reviewed under these updated standards and directs the agency to issue implementation guidance within one year. Together, these changes remove longstanding regulatory barriers that have prevented new sunscreen ingredients from reaching U.S. consumers for more than two decades.
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) coordinated advocacy efforts for a broad coalition of dermatologic and patient advocacy organizations to advance these reforms. Through direct Capitol Hill meetings, coordinated coalition letters, and ongoing engagement with federal policymakers, ASDSA worked to keep skin cancer prevention and patient safety a key priority of congressional action and build the bipartisan support needed to move the legislation across the finish line.
ASDSA extends sincere thanks to the bipartisan leaders of the Congressional Skin Cancer Caucus – Rep. John Joyce (R-PA), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) – for their steadfast leadership and commitment to prevention.
We are also grateful to Caucus members Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA), Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), and Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) for supporting policies that strengthen skin cancer prevention and protect patients nationwide.
Following passage of the reform, the FDA has proposed adding bemotrizinol as a new sunscreen active ingredient – the first proposed addition in more than 20 years. Bemotrizinol offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, low systemic absorption, and a strong safety profile, and is already used in sunscreens available 
internationally. This proposal represents an early example of how the updated framework can accelerate access to modern sun protection options.
ASDSA supported this legislation alongside its partner organizations as part of the SUNucate Coalition
ASDSA will continue working closely with Congress, the Skin Cancer Caucus, and the FDA to ensure timely implementation of these reforms and to advance additional policies that improve prevention, protect patients, and strengthen access to dermatologic care nationwide. For more information, contact advocacy@asds.net.
ALLIANCE SUBMITS COMMENTS ON MACRA MODERNIZATION TO HOUSE DOCTORS CAUCUSES
The Alliance of Specialty Medicine submitted comments to the U.S. House Republican and Democratic Doctors Caucuses on modernizing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The Alliance highlighted challenges with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), including structural issues, the lack of inflation adjustments, and budget neutrality requirements that have led to declining physician payments and increased healthcare system consolidation.
The Alliance emphasized the need for legislative reforms to improve the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models, enhance specialty participation in alternative payment models (APMs), and address barriers to meaningful engagement in value-based care. They also called for reforms to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), including reducing administrative burdens, promoting specialty-focused metrics, and improving access to Medicare claims data. Additionally, they urged Congress to reinstate the APM incentive payment, lower Qualifying APM Participant (QP) thresholds, and adopt permanent solutions to stabilize Medicare physician payments and support investments in value-based care. You can read the entire letter and comments by clicking on the link below.Highlighting a Growing Threat to Patient Access
Retina specialists across the country increasingly report difficulty accessing sufficient OR time, particularly for emergent cases such as retinal detachment repair. In fact, of the 889 responses to the ASRS 2025 Preferences and Trends (PAT) Survey, more than 71% report experiencing this issue—having their ASC surgical block time reduced or eliminated completely. Most importantly, patients are facing unacceptable delays or being forced to travel significant distances to tertiary or academic medical centers to access sight-saving surgery.
ASRS is actively helping elevate this issue as part of its broader advocacy efforts to protect access to retina specialty care. ASRS member Dr. Peter Belin recently published an op-ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune (“Emergency eye care is disappearing when it’s most needed”), which underscores this critical issue facing patients in Minnesota and nationwide. As he stated in the op-ed, “Delays in emergency eye care have real consequences. Longer intervals between retinal detachment and surgical repair are associated with worse visual outcomes.”
ASRS is working to ensure that policymakers and the public understand what’s at stake and why sustainable Medicare policies that prioritize patients’ access to operating rooms for emergency surgery by increasing payments to ASCs for emergency procedures should be implemented immediately.
