12/14/2023
Take Action Now: New Medicare Payment Fix Bill Introduced
As we have informed OSMA members over the last two months, unless Congress takes action, the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule includes a 3.37% payment cut for physicians. At a time when medical inflation continues to grow, any cut to Medicare physicians’ fees will have a substantial negative impact on practices and is unsustainable.
Recognizing the urgency and importance of averting this cut, last week, bipartisan legislation was introduced that will stop the 3.37% Medicare physician payment cut. H.R. 6683 – the “Preserving Seniors’ Access to Physicians Act of 2023” was introduced by Representatives Gregory Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), and Danny Davis (D-IL). Mike Carey (R-OH) also signed on as a cosponsor earlier this week.
We are asking every OSMA member to contact their member of Congress now and urge them to fix the flawed Medicare physician payment system by supporting H.R. 6683 and to include the Medicare payment fix in the upcoming 2024 appropriations package.
Because Congress passed a continuing resolution last month that temporarily funds government programs through January 19, 2024, the next opportunity to stop the cuts will be as part of the 2024 appropriations package that congress must act on by January 19 to avoid a government shutdown.
Thank you in advance for your advocacy on this critical issue and we will send updates in January on progress towards a solution.
Congress needs to act NOW – tell your legislators cancel the cut!