The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Physician Fee Schedule for 2025 proposed rule. Medicare Rights is a national, nonprofit organization that works to ensure access to affordable and equitable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs, and public policy initiatives. Each year, Medicare Rights provides services and resources to over three million people with Medicare, family caregivers, and professionals.
General Comments
As science and medicine progress, they reveal the interconnectedness of bodily systems and expose the folly of historic silos in care. We greatly appreciate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focusing on mental health and substance use disorder treatment and to medically necessary dental services.
We urge CMS to approach Medicare coverage in these and other areas with the flexibility and expansiveness required to ensure that people with Medicare have the access, coverage, care, and resources they need to support their physical, mental, and financial well-being and live safely in their communities.