Congressman Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC), the co-chair of the Congressional Doctor’s Caucus, has introduced a letter to CMS opposing the 20% cut to the primary codes for total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) that have been proposed by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2027. AAHKS is working with Congress to gain additional signatures for Rep. Murphy’s letter, and your outreach is critical to establishing constituent interest with your Representative. 

The letter highlights that surgeons are the value-center, not the cost center, of Medicare’s #1 procedure. AAHKS members have achieved incredible advances in patient care that have benefited the Medicare patient and saved the Medicare Trust Fund billions. CMS does not have to take our word for it: United Health Group published a report which found that hip and knee surgeons paving the way for THA/TKA to be performed in the outpatient setting will save the system $70 billion over the next 10 years. Those outcomes have been won through hard work of our members optimizing patients for their surgery and shepherding them through their post-operative recovery. We have delivered on the promise that value-based care can improve outcomes and save the system money at the same time. Surgeons should not be punished for that. 

The current deadline for signatures is Wednesday, Sept. 23, so take action now to contact your Representative and ask them to sign-on to Dr. Murphy’s Congressional letter calling on CMS to maintain current reimbursement levels for hip and knee replacement surgery.