Physician congressman says Medicare pay fix is back on
A key member of Congress said Monday that his proposal to undo a Medicare pay cut for physicians is back on again.
House Republicans on Saturday released a seven-month funding patch to avert a government shutdown. The measure did not include the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act to undo the 2.8% cut, drawing criticism from physicians.
Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, R-N.C., who co-sponsored the bill, said Monday he’s been given reassurances it will be added back into the final resolution.
“Speaker and majority leader agree for doc fix to be in reconciliation. Hopefully long term [payment reform],” he shared March 10 on social media.
The American College of Radiology was among dozens of medical societies writing to House representatives on Monday, asking them to reconsider the omission. They noted that the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act now has over 100 co-sponsors in the House, who understand the need to address the “devastating” reimbursement reduction.
“Last December, there was a bipartisan funding package that Congress was hours away from passing before it was scuttled,” ACR et al. wrote March 10. “That package addressed the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut. It is time for members of the House of Representatives to take a stand to protect Medicare patient access by insisting language addressing the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut be added to the full year [continuing resolution] before the vote.”
Others signing Monday’s message included the American Society of Neuroradiology, Society of Interventional Radiology, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hopes to hold a vote on the resolution Tuesday, March 11. Congress faces a Friday deadline to pass a bill and avoid a government shutdown.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.