- Home
- Advocacy
- Latest News and Practice Data
- CAP, AMA, and 120 Medical Societies Ask Congress to Stabilize Medicare Payments
The American Medical Association (AMA), CAP, and 120 national medical professional, health, and state medical societies have urged congressional leaders to pass the bipartisan Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (HR 2474). The legislation would provide financial stability to physician practices by including an annual inflation update for Medicare payments that’s tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI). The CAP advocates for fair payment for the value of pathology services.
In an April 19 letter, the coalition thanked Reps. Raul Ruiz, MD, (D-CA), Ami Bera, MD (D-CA), Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA) for introducing the legislation that should be part of comprehensive and meaningful Medicare physician payment reform.
According to an AMA analysis of Medicare Trustees data, when adjusted for inflation, Medicare payments to clinicians have declined by 22% from 2001-2021. The failure of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to keep pace with the actual cost of providing care, combined with year-over-year cuts resulting from the application of budget neutrality and a lack of available alternative payment model/value-based care models, clearly demonstrates the Medicare payment system is broken. Overall, adding an inflationary update would provide constancy to the health care system as physician practices deal with shifting economic factors, such as increasing administrative burdens, staff salaries, office rent, and purchasing technology.
The CAP will provide updates on this legislation and other Medicare reform bills.