08/17/2023

OSMA Collaborates to Reform Medicare’s Payment System

OSMA has joined with the AMA and other state and national medical associations to reform Medicare’s broken physician payment system. The AMA sent the below alert to physicians across the country to contact members of Congress during their August recess.

We encourage all OSMA members to contact Congress to stress the importance of how we need to Fix Medicare Now.

Below is the full alert from the AMA:

As Congress returns home for the annual August recess, physician advocates have unique opportunities to engage with their members of Congress "back home" in the district.

Find out how you can take advantage of the August recess and tell Congress to Fix Medicare Now!

This summer the American Medical Association's top federal priority is reforming Medicare's broken physician payment system, and we need your help!

According to an AMA analysis of Medicare Trustees data, Medicare physician payment has been reduced 26% adjusted for inflation from 2001–2023. The Medicare physician payment system lacks an adequate annual physician payment update, unlike those that apply to other Medicare provider payments. A continuing statutory freeze in annual Medicare physician payments is scheduled to last until 2026, when updates resume at a rate of 0.25% per year indefinitely, well below inflation rates.

That's why it's so urgent that Congress work with the physician community to develop long-term solutions to the systematic problems with the Medicare physician payment system and preserve patient access to quality care.

Recently, the AMA hosted a webinar featuring Jason Marino, AMA Director of Congressional Affairs, who provided an update on the current state of Medicare legislation and what lies ahead during the 118th Congress and advocacy expert David Lusk of Key Advocacy who provided best practices for engaging legislators in-district including how to prepare for in-district legislative meetings, host Members of Congress at site visits, and interacting with elected officials online.

To make these interactions with your legislators as impactful as possible, the AMA has developed an online August recess resources site that is your one-stop-shop for toolkits, legislative calls to action, issue briefs and information on scheduling and preparing for legislative meetings and other in-district opportunities.

Please join us this August recess and let Congress know that it's time to Fix Medicare Now - everyone agrees that the Medicare physician payment system is broken – let's do something about it!