---
title: "2022 Reimbursement Cuts: What You Should Know"
description: Radiologists are concerned that the changes could significantly reduce pay, especially for interventional radiologists and radiation oncologists.
---

<https://blog.novarad.net>

# [2022 Reimbursement Cuts: What You Should Know](https://blog.novarad.net/2022-reimbursement-cuts-what-you-should-know)

 Written by [Novarad](https://blog.novarad.net/author/novarad) | Dec 7, 2021 5:09:00 PM

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created an uproar among radiologists when it proposed its [2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule](https://www.cms.gov/medicaremedicare-fee-service-paymentphysicianfeeschedpfs-federal-regulation-notices/cms-1751-p). This proposal updates wages for clinical labor staff, but opponents say it could have wide-reaching consequences for patients.

Because these wages are “budget neutral” for CMS, raising payments in one area requires decreases in other. According to CMS, these updates will cause an estimated 5% cut for interventional radiology and 1% cut for radiology. Once you adjust for other factors, like mandated sequestration and cuts to practice expense values, [the estimate increases to 9% and 2%](https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/55656), respectively.

**Potential effects for patients**

Radiologists are concerned that the changes could significantly reduce pay, especially for interventional radiologists and radiation oncologists. Opponents to the change, [which include many lawmakers](https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/policy/lawmakers-opposition-labor-wage-update-radiologist), are afraid that providers could be forced to close practices, [limiting patients' access to care](https://www.radiologybusiness.com/topics/policy/medicare-pay-cut-clinical-labor-wage-update-radiology).

The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) has said that the federal government has not properly aligned labor rates and product tables with inflation. [SIR President Matthew S. Johnson](https://www.sirweb.org/media-and-pubs/media/news-release-archive/2022-mpfs-proposed-rule-090821/), MD, FSIR, an interventional radiologist, said that “the profound cuts will negatively affect health equity in communities who have already been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

**Radiologists taking action**

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has [called on its members](https://www.acr.org/Advocacy-and-Economics/Advocacy-News/Advocacy-News-Issues/In-the-Sept-18-2021-Issue/ACR-Member-Voice-Key-to-Protecting-Patient-Access-to-Care) to contact lawmakers and CMS to warn against the change. ACR notes that actions by its members helped avoid CMS cuts last year.

SIR has also submitted a comment letter to CMS. You can [download the PDF version here](https://www.sirweb.org/contentassets/e3d145a22c254da9b657411cf7ace89c/final-sir-comment-letter-to-cms-cy2022-mpfs.9.8.2021_.pdf).

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