1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Reject Medicare Cuts to Skin Cancer Detection and Treatment Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America. According to the CDC, an estimated 6.1 million U.S. adults are treated for skin cancer each year, and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. At the same time, the five-year survival rate for skin cancer reaches 99% when the disease is detected and treated early but drops sharply to 35% if care is delayed. In addition to saving lives, timely localized intervention costs far less than treatment of advanced cancer (less than $1,000 versus $250,000 or more). Despite the prevalence of skin cancer and the nation’s success in treating it, a federal agency is proposing to cut Medicare reimbursement for skin cancer care. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) included in its proposed Physician Fee Schedule for 2027 payment changes that would: 1 Cut by 50 percent Medicare payment for procedural services performed on the same day as an evaluation visit (Modifier 25), 2 Eliminate the overhead index that covers dermatology practices’ overhead costs (IPCI), 3 Target procedural services, 91 percent of which are used directly for skin cancer detection and treatment, and 4 Impose on dermatology some of the deepest cuts in the entire Medicare fee schedule. If finalized as proposed, these cuts will fall hardest on the Americans least able to absorb them. More than 60% of melanoma patients and 71% of non-melanoma skin cancer patients are age 65 or older. Nearly 9-in-10 rural U.S. counties (88%) have no dermatologist at all, making rural patients especially vulnerable to cuts that further reduce access. And members of our military and veterans’ communities face far higher melanoma rates than does the general population. For these reasons, we the undersigned organizations and individuals call on the President to reject CMS’ proposed cuts and preserve Americans’ access to skin cancer detection and treatment.