The AMA has been on the road fighting for Medicare physician payment reform for well over a decade, and the system remains on an unsustainable path. Temporary patches and ongoing cuts to the Medicare physician payment system have left physician practices and patient access to care at serious risk.
Payment cuts, freezes and redistributions have further exacerbated the challenge. When adjusted for inflation, Medicare physician payment has effectively declined 26% from 2001 to 2023.
Despite that stark reality, Congress and the administration are still not focused on fixing the root of the problem—the payment system itself. But it’s time for that to change. It’s essential that leaders in Washington work with the physician community on immediate, preventative measures, as well as long-term solutions that will reform the payment model once and for all.
“This cannot wait; we are past the breaking point,” said AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD. “Congress must urgently address physician concerns about Medicare to account for inflation and the post-pandemic economic reality facing practices nationwide.”
My latest for the AMA. Read the whole shebang, as reported from the 2023 AMA Annual Meeting this week in Chicago.
Also check out my other coverage of the meeting:
kboreilly.com 