Reversing the three.37% Medicare pay lower that went into impact for doctor practices on January 1 is a prime precedence for the American Medical Affiliation, mentioned Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the group.
“[The pay cut] is a catastrophe for the career, so we’re working day in and time out, hour by hour with our congressional companions to get that reversed,” Ehrenfeld declared final week throughout an interview at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. “If we don’t, it’ll have a dire, drastic impression on seniors’ entry to healthcare all throughout America. … For those who add it up, it’s a ten% discount during the last 4 years in Medicare reimbursement. It’s simply not sustainable.”
He made these feedback forward of Congress’ January 19 vote on the general authorities funding invoice, which incorporates Medicare funds. The AMA is urging physicians and sufferers to take part within the Repair Medicare Now marketing campaign and make contact with Congress forward of the vote to share their issues on the fee cuts.
Specifically, the AMA is in help of the Preserving Seniors’ Entry to Physicians Act of 2023, which was just lately launched within the Home of Representatives and would cancel the three.37% fee lower to physicians. There may be bipartisan help for the reversal of the lower as properly, with practically 200 members of Congress co-signing a December letter calling for laws to forestall the lower.
What’s at stake if the three.37% pay lower to doctor practices isn’t reversed? Practices will both cease seeing Medicare sufferers solely or cease accepting new Medicare sufferers, in response to Ehrenfeld.
“This occurred to my dad and mom in Florida,” he said. “Their doctor simply couldn’t see Medicare sufferers anymore due to the fee cuts that proceed to occur whereas inflation continues to rise. We all know that an increasing number of practices will make that very painful choice if Congress doesn’t act to not less than preserve physicians entire.”
Ehrenfeld added that the AMA is “optimistic” that the pay lower shall be reversed as a result of bipartisan help. Nonetheless, he famous that Congress has had points passing laws within the final 12 months.
“Congress wants to point out up and do their job and sadly, they’ve struggled to try this. This previous 12 months I believe was one of many least productive Congresses in United States historical past. [There were more than] 700 payments, and 27 acquired signed into regulation,” Ehrenfeld mentioned.
Physicians are the one group that doesn’t obtain an automated annual improve based mostly on the Medicare Financial Index to help rising enterprise bills, in response to the AMA. If physicians had been to get the identical changes as hospitals and different healthcare professionals, their funds would have seen a 4.6% improve in 2024.
The Medicare fee lower is additional exacerbating the burnout difficulty that many physicians are dealing with proper now, Ehrenfeld mentioned.
“There are numerous elements which can be driving burnout: the system inefficiencies, the burden of prior authorization, administrative necessities, a 3% pay lower,” he mentioned. “We have to proceed to work on that.”
Photograph: Mbve7642, Getty Photographs
