Several physician groups have voiced their support for a bill, introduced Jan. 31, that aims to cancel the 2.83% Medicare physician pay cut and provide a 2% pay increase to stabilize practices and protect patient access to care.
If passed, the "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act" would retroactively reverse the Jan. 1 cut, effective April 1. Similar bipartisan legislation failed in December.
Here are five provider groups' reactions to the proposed legislation:
Alexander Khalessi, MD, Chair, American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Washington Committee: Congress must act swiftly to pass this legislation to stabilize the Medicare payment system. I commend our legislative champions for prioritizing this critical issue and value their collaboration with House and Senate leaders to address the cascading impact of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule changes on the U.S. health system. These trends have driven consolidation and limited access to care for America’s seniors. Neurosurgery is committed to working with Congress to develop sustainable, long-term solutions that foster a patient-centered health care future.
Carol Langford, MD, President of the American College of Rheumatology: Increased inflation coupled with chronically low Medicare reimbursement rates threatens patient access to care – especially for rural and underserved populations. If not addressed, the current cuts will destabilize the healthcare system and make it more difficult for rheumatologists to deliver essential care to patients nationwide. After years of successive cuts, it is clear the Medicare payment system cannot function effectively in its current state and physicians — like rheumatologists — and patients are the ones suffering the most. We hope congressional leadership will work to swiftly pass this important legislation to safeguard our healthcare system as soon as possible.
Bruce Scott, MD, President, American Medical Association: This legislation would begin to roll back the cuts physician practices have faced over the last four years while we all have experienced high inflation. As evidenced by this bipartisan legislation, lawmakers know the trend is unsustainable and, if left unaddressed, will ultimately harm their constituents. Patient access to care and practice sustainability are not partisan or geographical issues. It’s an urgent national issue that demands immediate attention from Congress.
The clock is ticking. The continuing resolution expires on March 14. Physicians are healers first, but we are asking them to become vocal advocates for their patients over the next 45 days by contacting their members of Congress and urging them to include this bill in the next spending package. Patients, particularly Medicare recipients and anyone with a family member on Medicare, should do likewise.
Anders Gilberg, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Medical Group Management Association: MGMA urges swift passage of the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025. Physician practices are now a month into the new year, facing uncertainty and financial shortfalls from the congressional failure to reverse the 2025 Medicare fee schedule cuts. These cuts have negatively impacted the viability of their Medicare business, commercial contracts tied to Medicare rates, as well as Medicaid reimbursement in states that use Medicare as a benchmark. With nearly 80% of all physicians now employed by facilities and larger entities, Medicare beneficiaries in areas of the country that rely solely on community-based medical practices are especially vulnerable to access issues. Without immediate congressional action on this important legislation, more and more physician practices will be forced to close their doors, unable to keep up with rapidly rising staff salaries, rent, and administrative costs.
Aisha Pittman, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Association of ACOs: The National Association of ACOs commends Reps. Murphy, Panetta, Joyce, Ruiz, Miller-Meeks, Schrier, Tenney, Bera, Miller, and Krishnamoorthi for introducing the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act. This critical legislation will stop harmful Medicare physician payment cuts that took effect this year, ensuring that physicians and other clinicians have the financial stability to deliver the care patients deserve.
Without adequate reimbursement, providers face increasing challenges in innovating care and transitioning to value-based care. We urge Congress to act swiftly to reverse these cuts so that we can begin to work toward a sustainable, long-term physician payment reform that fosters high-value, patient-centered care for all Medicare beneficiaries.