AAOS welcomes key improvements in CMS final CY 2027 Physician Fee Schedule, calls for continued progress
/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is encouraged by several positive developments in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
The final rule preserves access to care by mitigating proposed cuts to orthopaedic procedures
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is encouraged by several positive developments in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) final calendar year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) that help protect patient access to musculoskeletal care, while underscoring the need for broader Medicare physician payment reform.
Proposed cuts to total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty, and shoulder hemiarthroplasty were reduced by nearly 50% in the CY 2027 PFS. As a result of extensive feedback from physicians, medical societies, and lawmakers who raised concerns about the proposal's impact on patient access and physician practices, CMS shifted course from even more drastic cuts to the relative value units for these procedures.
More than 22 million Americans currently live in the 1,400-plus U.S. counties that lack an orthopaedic surgeon1. While AAOS is grateful that CMS responded to feedback from orthopaedic advocates, cuts of any magnitude could further deepen existing workforce shortages, limit patient choice, and create additional barriers to timely care for Medicare beneficiaries and other patients alike.
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Editorial brief compiled from certified PR Newswire wire reporting via Newsmotion News Desk.
