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Education

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An opportunity for early and mid-career STS surgeon members to learn how to lead in and out of the OR.
Event dates
Mar 21, 2024 – Jan 23, 2025
Location
Zoom, Chicago, and Los Angeles
An experiential foundation and hands-on practice in basic cardiothoracic operating skills for first-year residents.
Event dates
Aug 22–25, 2024
Location
Chicago, IL
KTCVS-STS Asia Symposium on Valvular Heart Disease
Event dates
Aug 30–31, 2024
Location
Seoul, Korea

News & Media

The latest from the field of thoracic surgeryView All >

Washington, DC - Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for the CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. In this proposal, CMS again recommends substantial cuts to physician reimbursements. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is concerned that recurring significant cuts will endanger patient care and undermine the financial stability of cardiothoracic surgery practices and hospitals. 

Jul 10, 2024

This afternoon the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. STS has compiled a summary of key provisions affecting thoracic surgery in the rule. 

Payment Cuts

CMS is again proposing significant cuts to cardiothoracic surgery reimbursement, this time by 2.8%. CMS estimates the CY 2025 conversion factor (CF) to be $32.36. Unlike hospital payments with a built-in yearly increase, physician payments do not have such adjustments. STS will continue lobbying Congress and CMS for systematic reforms and an inflationary update to Medicare payments.

Changes to physician reimbursement often stem from the budget neutrality requirement, which lacks a mechanism for inflationary adjustments. Disruptions occur when the value of specific services change, affecting the reimbursement of other services to maintain budget neutrality. STS and the physician community are advocating for Congress to legislate an inflationary update to the CF and adjust budget neutrality thresholds. For more details, see our recent response to the Senate Finance Committee’s request for information on physician payment. 

Quality Payment Program (QPP)

Thanks to advocacy efforts from STS and other stakeholders, Congress has stepped in to extend a 3.5% incentive payment for Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) participation in CY 2025 (based on CY 2023 participation). Additionally, starting in payment year 2026, APM participants will be eligible for a higher CF update than other clinicians: 0.75% compared to 0.25%. 

STS previously worked with CMS to provide specialty-specific, meaningful measures for our members who participate in the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced APM. Additionally, this will be relevant for CT surgeons performing CABG procedures under the new TEAM payment model proposed in the inpatient payment rule. CMS is considering, with STS support, allowing TEAM participation to count towards Advanced APM participation under the QPP.

Global Surgical Codes 

CMS is proposing to expand the use of transfer of care modifiers for global packages. They would require the use of modifiers (-54, -55, and -56) for all 90-day global surgical packages in cases where a practitioner (or another from the same group) expects to provide only the pre-operative (-56), procedure (-54), or post-operative (-55) portions. This applies to both formally documented and informally expected transfers of care. CMS aims to use the information collected to refine global surgical codes in the future.  

In the past, STS has actively promoted the benefits of maintaining the 90-day global code and has refuted flawed data used to advocate for their repeal. We will continue to promote the value of these bundled payments and urge policymakers to extend the increased reimbursement for E/M visits to those packaged in procedural global payments.  

Telehealth

CMS has extended telehealth flexibilities where possible, including adding new services to the telehealth list and permitting two-way and real-time audio-only communication technology for any telehealth service. Absent congressional intervention, the future of telemedicine hangs in the balance as the current telehealth flexibilities are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2024. STS urges Congress to permanently extend telehealth flexibilities established during the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

Jul 10, 2024
3 min read
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advocacy

On June 28, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference doctrine, which for 40 years has required judges to defer to agencies' reasonable interpretations of "ambiguous" federal laws falling within the agencies’ field of expertise.

3 min read
Derek Brandt, JD, STS Advocacy
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STS News, the Society’s quarterly magazine for members only, brings you the latest CT surgery news, research, stories, and more to help keep you in the know and connected to your peers.

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Member Voices

Joseph F. Sabik

Joseph F. Sabik III, MD

STS Second Vice President
It’s about making sure that patients get the right treatment, so they can have the best long-term outcomes.
Africa Wallace, MD

Africa F. Wallace, MD

DEI Workforce Member
Our roles as attendings, division chiefs, chairs, coaches, and mentors come with a larger responsibility.

Robert S.D. Higgins, MD

STS Past President
STS was the first place where I was welcomed to be part of like-minded surgeons focused on patients, who improved outcomes, and had a mission.