Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA-01), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA-06), and Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA-08) penned a letter to House and Senate leadership urging Congressional action to prevent the impending 3.37% cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians. The letter was signed by 193 Members of Congress.

In the letter, the physicians discuss the need to ensure that Medicare patients continue to have access to quality care: “We write today as a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging you to act quickly to prevent a 3.37% cut to Medicare reimbursement payments that will occur on January 1, 2024. We in Congress must continue our partnership with the physician and provider community to ensure that Medicare patients continue to have access to quality care. Physicians and other healthcare providers, who are confronting inflationary pressures and workforce shortages, need Congress to prevent this cut, which will add significant burdens to the healthcare infrastructure and the communities they serve.” 

The members also highlighted the impacts of the cuts on seniors and underserved areas: “The effects of these cuts will be exacerbated in rural and underserved areas, which continue to face significant healthcare access challenges. Medicare physicians and other providers do not receive inflationary updates in the Medicare program, which is partially why eliminating these potential cuts is so crucial. We as policymakers must ensure that physicians and other providers who treat Medicare patients continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation's seniors.”  

“We appreciate the bi-partisan efforts led by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-IA-01), Ami Bera, MD (D-CA-06), Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN-08), and Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA-08) to convey to Congressional leadership the impact on patient care these looming 3.37% Medicare cuts will have,” said American Medical Group Association (AMGA) President and CEO Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A. “After three years of continuous reductions adding up to 6%, another 3.37% decrease is not sustainable. According to a recent survey, it is clear AMGA members will be forced to take further actions that will result in decreased access, longer wait times, and decreased investments in programs that address community health issues. We strongly encourage Congress to act to prevent this reduction so that AMGA members can continue to focus on patient care, not ways to cut cost.” 

The full text of the letter may be found below.

Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Minority Leader Jeffries, and Minority Leader McConnell: 

“We write today as a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging you to act quickly to prevent a 3.37% cut to Medicare reimbursement payments that will occur on January 1, 2024. We in Congress must continue our partnership with the physician and provider community to ensure that Medicare patients continue to have access to quality care. Physicians and other healthcare providers, who are confronting inflationary pressures and workforce shortages, need Congress to prevent this cut, which will add significant burdens to the healthcare infrastructure and the communities they serve. 

This potential 3.37% reduction comes after three years of consecutive cuts to Medicare services. If Congress does not act this year, Medicare payments will have been cut by almost 10% in four years, which is simply unsustainable for our nation's medical groups, physicians, and other health care providers. In fact, we have heard from physician and other provider organizations that due to these past cuts and the potential for additional Medicare cuts, medical groups and integrated systems of care have and will continue to eliminate services. This includes implementing hiring freezes, delaying system improvements and the implementation of care model changes such as transitioning to value-based care systems.

The effects of these cuts will be exacerbated in rural and underserved areas, which continue to face significant healthcare access challenges. Medicare physicians and other providers do not receive inflationary updates in the Medicare program, which is partially why eliminating these potential cuts is so crucial. We as policymakers must ensure that physicians and other providers who treat Medicare patients continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation's seniors. We appreciate your attention to this critical issue and look forward to working together to ensure these cuts are prevented.”

BACKGROUND

This potential 3.37% reduction comes after three years of consecutive cuts to Medicare services. If Congress does not act this year, Medicare payments will have been cut by almost 10% in four years, which is simply unsustainable for our nation's medical groups, physicians, and other health care providers. If these Medicare cuts are not prevented, medical groups and integrated systems of care will be forced to eliminate services, furlough staff, implement hiring freezes, and delay population health initiatives. Congress must ensure that Medicare providers continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation’s seniors who rely on Medicare.

Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. represents Indiana’s 8^th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives and is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

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