Dear SDPA Members, 

As many of you are aware, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) released a package of proposed changes for the Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The Society of Dermatology Physician Associates (SDPA) has closely reviewed these proposals. Several proposed rules could significantly harm healthcare providers, with disproportionate consequences for dermatological care, DermPAs™, and their patients. We are particularly concerned by proposed reductions to Physician Fee Schedule payments and policies that could adversely affect reimbursement for certain procedures performed during the same visit as an evaluation and management appointment. SDPA will leverage its staff, partnerships, and the power of its members to advocate effectively against these proposals.   

Underscoring the significance for SDPA members, CMS specifically used a dermatological scenario to illustrate the change to modifier-25 reimbursement. In CMS’s example:  

“a patient receives an O/O E/M visit using CPT code 99212 …at a dermatologist's office, and then has two skin lesions removed, one using CPT code 11300 and one using CPT code 11301. Since CPT code 11301 is the highest paid service, CPT code 11301 will be paid at 100 percent … and CPT code 11300 and the payment for CPT code 99212 will both be reduced by 50 percent….” 

At their core, these proposals are about more than reimbursement. They raise important questions about patient access to care and the ability of healthcare providers to receive fair compensation for the efficient, convenient, and high-quality services they provide to Medicare beneficiaries. 

Dermatology practices work every day to meet increasing patient demand while navigating more administrative burdens and rising operating costs. Policies that reduce reimbursement for medically necessary services can make it more difficult for practices to maintain adequate staffing levels, invest in patient care resources, and ensure timely access to treatment. 

Patients benefit when providers can evaluate, diagnose, and treat conditions in the most clinically appropriate and efficient manner possible. Medicare policy should support those goals, not create disincentives that could lead to delays or reduced access to care.  

SDPA believes Congress has an important role to play in ensuring that Medicare policies protect patient access and support a sustainable healthcare system. We urge Congress to engage with CMS regarding these proposed changes and carefully consider their impact on patients, providers, and medical practices nationwide. 

SDPA will submit an official organizational statement to CMS on this matter on behalf of our members so that CMS knows in unambiguous terms where we stand. At the same time, your voice as an individual DermPA™ also matters.  

Today, SDPA is launching a grassroots advocacy campaign to amplify the concerns of our members and ensure the dermatology community has a strong voice in this conversation. I urge you to contact your elected officials and CMS to share firsthand perspectives about how these policies could affect patient care. By filling out two quick forms, you can easily email CMS here and your members of congress here through SDPA’s grassroots advocacy platform, which provides a pre-written customizable letter.  

Now is the time for our profession to come together. By speaking with a unified voice, we can help shape policies that preserve access to high-quality dermatologic care and support the healthcare professionals who deliver it every day. 

Andrew Baker, MBA, MPAS, PA-C 
President, Society of Dermatology Physician Associates