CHICAGO — Led by the American Medical Association (AMA), 120 state medical societies and medical specialties announced their support today for a House bill to reform the outdated Medicare payment system.
The letter (PDF) supports HR 2474, which would tie annual Medicare fee schedule updates to the Medicare Economic Index, something the AMA has long advocated.
When adjusted for inflation, physician payments have declined (PDF) 26% from 2001 to 2023, capped off most recently by a 2% payment reduction in 2023. Increasingly thin operating margins disproportionately affect small, independent, and rural physician practices, as well as those treating low-income or other historically minoritized or marginalized patient communities.
Read the entire letter here (PDF).
Medicare reform is a central plank in the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians.
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
