AAOS Presses CMS to Reverse Orthopaedic Payment Cuts in 2027 Fee Schedule
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Washington – September 17, 2026 -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) submitted a formal comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opposing proposed payment cuts in the calendar year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, warning the changes could accelerate consolidation among independent orthopaedic practices.
AAOS demands CMS preserve current work RVUs for major joint procedures
The letter urges CMS to maintain calendar year 2026 work relative value units (RVUs) for total shoulder, total hip, and total knee arthroplasty services, along with shoulder hemiarthroplasty. AAOS argues that reducing these values would compound years of what it calls inadequate payment updates and rising practice costs.