Doc fix ditched as President Trump signs resolution to avert government shutdown

President Donald Trump has finalized a stopgap bill to fund the federal government, which excluded a so-called “doc fix” to undo the physician Medicare pay cut taking effect. Jan. 1. 

Physician advocates remain hopeful Congress will address this issue via reconciliation later this year. Back in December, lawmakers had nearly finalized a proposal to undo the 2.8% reimbursement reduction outlined in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. However, the bill was scuttled at the urging of President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. 

The Medical Group Management Association criticized Congress on Friday. Doc lobbying groups remain hopeful lawmakers will enact long-term funding reform so physicians can avoid annual reimbursement cuts needed to balance the Medicare budget. 

"The passage of the [continuing resolution] without a Medicare physician payment fix represents a massive congressional failure and blatant abdication of duty to our nation's physicians and their beneficiaries,” Anders Gilberg, senior VP of government affairs for the MGMA—which represents over 15,000 medical group practices in radiology and other specialties—said in a March 14 statement. “To avoid this annual chaos, which increasingly threatens beneficiary access to care, Congress must realize permanent, sustainable solutions, such as implementing an annual, inflation-based physician payment update tied to the full Medicare Economic Index and modernizing Medicare's antiquated budget neutrality policies,” he added later. 

Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, R-N.C., a physician advocate in Washington, said the White House has assured him that physicians’ concerns will be addressed this year through reconciliation. This is the fifth consecutive year physicians have seen their payment rate decline in Medicare. Doc pay has decreased over 30% since 2001 when adjusting for inflation in the federal program, the American Medical Association estimates. 

Murphy said he was not willing to shut down the government to fight for a doc fix, as he remains confident Congress will legislate the matter in the coming months. 

"While funding our federal government through continuing resolutions is not ideal, I voted in favor of the funding package and look forward to our important work ahead to enact an agenda that puts Americans first,” Murphy said March 11. “…Congress cannot delay protecting Medicare beneficiaries' access to affordable, high-quality care any further. I appreciate Speaker [Mike] Johnson's leadership and his commitment to addressing these harmful cuts through budget reconciliation."

The Radiology Business Management Association also criticized the CR on Friday after its finalization. 

“Both parties have repeatedly vowed to protect Medicare, yet here we are—physicians and patients left holding the bag once again. We’ve heard promises for months; now it’s time for action. Kicking the can down the road isn’t governing," said Kit Crancer, chair of the RBMA's Radiology Patient Action Network (RPAN).