| To our Las Colinas Dermatology patients: Thank you for your response to our posts and emails this week about the Centers for Medicare Services’ proposed rule for 2027 to penalize doctors when they perform procedures such as freezing or skin biopsies on the same day as an office visit. Already we have gotten calls from many of you letting us know you’ve contacted your senators and House representatives. This proposed rule would affect not only your dermatology visits, but all of your doctor visits. In addition, other insurance companies tend to follow Medicare’s lead, so if this is implemented, it could affect all patients’ care. Many of you have asked us for wording that explains the issue to use for a letter to your senator or House representative, so we are attaching a sample letter here. You can customize it for your situation – for instance if you are taking care of your family member who is a Medicare beneficiary and accompany them to their visits, explain if that is a hardship to have additional visits. If you drive to see us from Terrell or Fort Worth or East Texas, explain the inconvenience this would pose for you if you had to return for a minor procedure. At Las Colinas Dermatology we have always been committed to providing accessible and efficient care for our Medicare patients. We value you and appreciate your assistance to protect access to your dermatologic care. Sincerely, Alison Black MD and Cheryl Sundlov, PA-C ——COPY SAMPLE LETTER BELOW THIS LINE—— |
| Dear Senator or Representative, I am writing as your constituent and a Medicare beneficiary to express my strong opposition to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed policy to severely reduce reimbursement to doctors when they perform an office visit and a minor procedure on the same day. As a patient, if I am at my dermatologist’s office where my full body skin exam may reveal a spot that needs to be biopsied, I want my doctor to be able to do my medical evaluation and skin exam or treat my chronic skin condition, and also be able to perform the biopsy for a suspicious lesion or other minor procedures the same day. I do not want financial penalties to force my doctor to split my care into multiple visits. If this proposal is implemented, I worry that patients like me will have to return for additional appointments for simple, routine procedures that can and should be handled immediately. For me, this would mean more time off work and away from family, additional travel expenses, and most importantly, a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of serious conditions such as skin cancer. Waiting weeks or months for minor procedures could allow easily treatable conditions to worsen. Our healthcare system should reward efficiency and patient-centered care. This proposed CMS rule does exactly the opposite by penalizing doctors who try to save their patients time and money. It prioritizes bureaucratic cost-cutting over the well-being of patients.Please urge CMS to withdraw this misguided proposal and protect your constituents by ensuring that Medicare continues to support and not dismantle same-day patient care. Thank you for protecting patients and access to high-quality medical care for Medicare beneficiaries. Sincerely, |
