Comment on CMS-2026-2377-0002

To Congress and CMS- This proposed rule is going to negatively affect access to care for Medicare patients. This is especially going to be detrimental to those who live in rural communities. It is obvious that with the persistent Medicare cuts on a yearly basis to physicians, that this additional cut is only going to make the financial sustainability of any medical practice only more difficult. With the persistent rising costs of staff and materials, the persistent reduction reimbursement from the government on a yearly basis, there is no other business that I can think of where the reimbursement to the individual providing a service is persistently cut against rising costs. You must recognize that this will discriminate against patients that live in smaller or rural communities. When those patients require higher level of care or expertise that is only served in larger communities, those patients have to drive to obtain that care. These are the same patients that frequently have less financial resources. So in my particular field, there is no way that I can sustain this type of cut to reimbursement. We will simply be required to see the patient for an exam one day and then have them drive all the way back to our office a different day for the service or procedure. Making patients drive back in for a second visit for their procedure is not a good use of their time and is extremely costly to them. Our patients in some cases drive five hours to be evaluated. 30% of our patients drive two hours for a visit. I think you have to ask yourself is this what you would want for your own family member? I strongly urge you to withdraw this proposed cut. Please say no to CMS-1848-P .