HRS Joins Federal Lawmakers Urging Congress to Halt Physician Pay Cuts
HRS, lawmakers, and other stakeholders will continue to press for action to avert the impending physician conversion factor pay cut before the end of the year.
A bipartisan coalition of 233 House members led by Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-Iowa) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) has written to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urging Congress "to expeditiously pass legislative fixes that not only stop another damaging round of cuts to Medicare payments, but also provide greater certainty and stability for clinicians serving Medicare beneficiaries."
In the letter, the lawmakers highlight that Medicare payment rates have declined by 29% over the past two decades when accounting for the rising cost of operating a practice. Their letter advocates for legislation that would establish a permanent annual inflationary update for Medicare, aligned with the MEI and calls for targeted reforms to Medicare physician fee schedule budget neutrality requirements. The lawmakers underscore how “increased instability in the health care sector due to looming cost hikes impacts the ability of physicians and clinicians to provide the highest quality of care and threatens patient access to affordable health care.” Congress returned to session on November 12th.