Dear valued patient of Dermatology Associates, PA,
For over 40 years, Dermatology Associates has had the privilege of caring for the people of North Carolina. Every day, we diagnose skin cancers during routine skin examinations, often in patients who had no idea a cancer was present.
Dermatology Associates, PA, has deliberately remained an independent medical practice because we believe physicians should be accountable first to their patients and communities, not to hospital administrators, shareholders, or distant private-equity leadership. We are proud to provide local access to specialty care for thousands of Medicare beneficiaries throughout eastern North Carolina. Our success has been built upon a simple principle: the patient-physician relationship comes first.
Today, we are asking for your help.
On July 14, Medicare proposed a new policy that would not allow insurance coverage of office visits, and any other medically necessary procedure, (such as a skin biopsy) during the same appointment. This policy will make it impossible for independent physician practices such as Dermatology Associates, PA, to continue to provide comprehensive care. In fact, it penalizes physicians for providing timely, high quality, and efficient care.
What could this mean for you if this policy goes into effect?
If your dermatologist discovers a potentially dangerous spot during your visit, you will need to book a second appointment for the biopsy or other rather than having it performed the same day.
It will also mean:
- An additional trip to the doctor’s office
- Another co-pay and additional out-of-pocket costs
- More time away from work for you or your caregiver
- Longer waits to receive a diagnosis and begin treatment
- Greater hardship for patients who travel long distances or have transportation challenges
- More expensive medical care overall
Ultimately, this decision does not only jeopardize Medicare patients. If this policy goes into effect, other insurance carriers will undoubtably follow suit. This will mean they are keeping more of your healthcare dollars for their executives and shareholders while providing fewer payments for your care. These changes will lead to a fundamental shift in the way that medical care is provided in the United States and threatens the community-based healthcare model that has long been the foundation of American medicine.
Why these cuts will hurt eastern North Carolina:
Many of our Medicare patients travel 60 to 90 minutes to receive specialty dermatology care. Many rely on family members for transportation. Many live on fixed incomes or have mobility limitations. When you have already made the trip to our office, we believe you should be able to receive all the medical care you need during one visit, whenever possible.
This issue extends beyond dermatology.
Although this proposal directly affects dermatology, it will also influence all primary care and medical specialties that perform in-office procedures. We believe Medicare policies should support timely, comprehensive patient care, not create barriers that result in additional appointments, additional costs, and unnecessary delays.
How you can help:
Congress is currently hearing from physicians and patients about this proposal. This comment period lasts until September 14, 2026. The most effective way to help is to contact your elected representatives before that date and ask them to oppose Medicare policies that discourage medically appropriate same-day care.
Please contact:
Representative David Rouzer
Official contact form: https://rouzer.house.gov/contact/
Senator Thom Tillis
Official contact form: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/email-me
Senator Ted Budd
Official contact form: https://www.budd.senate.gov/contact
If Representative Rouzer is not your member of Congress, you can find your U.S. Representative
here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Suggested message
I am a Medicare patient and your constituent.
I am writing to ask you to oppose the new Medicare policies that make it more difficult for physicians to diagnose and treat skin cancer during the same appointment.
I urge you to speak directly with CMS leadership to oppose the cuts proposed for Medicare in 2027, specifically the penalties on procedures performed on the same day as an office visit.
I am concerned that these changes could lead to additional office visits, higher out-of-pocket costs, unnecessary travel, and delays in diagnosis and treatment, especially for patients in rural communities like eastern North Carolina.
Please work with CMS leadership to preserve timely access to medically appropriate same-day care for Medicare patients.
Thank you for representing our community.
The entire process takes only a few minutes, but your voice can make a meaningful difference. At Dermatology Associates, PA, we understand that Medicare patients are not statistics. They are retired teachers, veterans, farmers, healthcare workers, small business owners, and lifelong residents of eastern North Carolina. They have spent decades paying into Medicare with the expectation that quality healthcare would be there when they needed it. They deserve policies that preserve, not reduce, their access to timely, high-quality medical care.
Thank you for your trust in Dermatology Associates, PA, and for taking the time to help protect access to care for our community.
Sincerely,
Dermatology Associates, PA
