ASBrS Continues Advocacy to Stop CMS Cuts to Breast Surgery

On October 31, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule affecting payment and quality reporting policies for services delivered beginning January 1, 2026.

While the final rule included a +3.26% increase to the conversion factor, CMS finalized other policies that will result in payment decreases for most procedures performed by breast surgeons. This is due to CMS’ finalization of what it calls an “efficiency adjustment” to “services that we expect to accrue efficiencies over time.” CMS makes this change regardless of the actual time trends of an individual service and without regard to whether a code has been recently revalued. To execute this payment cut, CMS is cutting work RVUs by 2.5% for all non-time based services, which includes essentially all procedures.

ASBrS vigorously opposed this proposal in its comment letter responding to the proposed rule highlighting that the proposal fails to demonstrate grounding in data or real-world patient care. While the cuts take place in the context of the Medicare program, it is also important for employed surgeons to analyze the impact this can have an RVU-based compensation given that it results in direct cuts to the work RVUs of breast surgery.

• ASBrS has joined a wide coalition of physician organizations engaging Congress in an effort to stop these unsubstantiated cuts. On Monday, November 3, ASBrS joined 33 other organizations on an ACS-led letter urging Congress to act.
• On November 19, ASBrS leadership will be visiting Capitol Hill to meet with key offices urging Congress to delay these unsubstantiated cuts.
• ASBrS urges members to contact their members of Congress asking them to stop these cuts via the ACS Surgeons Voice platform.

In addition to fighting these unsubstantiated cuts to breast surgery, ASBrS will continue to push for Medicare beneficiary access to care through long-term Medicare payment reform that will allow the Medicare program to keep pace with inflation. The CY 2026 MPFS final rule also included provisions that will significantly shift practice expense (PE) reimbursement away from services delivered in the facility setting (including surgeries) to services delivered in the office setting (including E/M visits). For more information, see the following CMS-issued materials:

• CY 2026 MPFS Final Rule
• CMS CY 2026 MPFS Press Release
• CMS CY 2026 MPFS Fact Sheet

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