Medicare physician payment cuts will harm ability to diagnose diseases

I am writing to thank Sen. Grassley (R-IA) for meeting with me on Oct. 25 and pledging to support efforts to provide additional relief from the physician Medicare payment cuts scheduled to take effect in 2024. As a pathologist at Goldfinch Laboratory in Urbandale, Iowa, I am extremely concerned about the consequences these cuts will have on my ability to provide diagnostic care to our community.

My lab runs thousands of critical tests for patients in Iowa that determine whether patients are diagnosed with cancer or countless other life changing diseases. My colleagues and I provide critical information to treating physicians that can have life or death consequences for patients. Pathology plays an integral role in diagnosing and understanding diseases. Our work is necessary to guide treatment decisions, track disease progression, support public health and public health emergencies, direct test selection, develop lab tests, and support medical advancements.

The repercussions of these cuts could have far-reaching consequences for the stability of medical laboratories across our nation.

It is imperative for our community that Congress help mitigate these cuts. This relief will help provide crucial short-term financial stability until permanent, bipartisan payment reforms are enacted.

Jared Abbott MD, Ph.D.

West Des Moines