WASHINGTON, DC— Today, the Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition (DVAC) is sounding the alarm on the latest proposed cuts included in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

If finalized, the proposed MPFS would impose significant cuts of 8% in 2023 on vascular access services. 

DVAC has previously warned that failing to prevent these year-over-year cuts will continue to shut down office-based specialty care, exacerbate the health care consolidation crisis and undermine health equity. 

Dr. Dean Preddie, DVAC’s policy chair, said, “Last week’s announcement from CMS is extremely ominous because vascular access is going through a phased-in 20% cut through 2025 on top of a 39% cut in the 2017 PFS. As drafted, this rule will reduce patient options for life-saving care because vascular access centers will be forced to close due to insufficient reimbursement levels.”

Dr. Preddie continued, “We’ve already seen this horror movie and we know how it ends. DVAC is asking Congress to work with CMS on fundamental reforms and to drop these new cuts to the MPFS.” 

 The Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition (DVAC) is a coalition of medical specialty societies, physicians, and vascular access centers of excellence (VACs) in the office and ASC setting that provide vascular access services to individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease and End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). VACs treat more than half of a million cases per year across the country in a safe, specialized, patient-preferred setting. DVAC represents more than 50% of the non-hospital sector.

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