Physicians are facing another round of Medicare payment cuts. Unless Congress acts by the end of the year, physicians face more than 8.42% in Medicare payment cuts in 2023 due to a confluence of statutory and budget neutrality payment cuts. 

If these cuts are allowed to take effect, these cuts will severely impede patient access to care due to the forced closure of physician practices and put further strain on those that remained open during the pandemic.

The California Medical Association (CMA) is asking all physicians to urge their Senators and Representatives to protect the nation’s Medicare patients by stopping the cuts. 

These scheduled cuts will come in the form of:

• Cuts to Physician Payment Rates. CMS has proposed a 4.42% cut for all physician services in 2023 to offset payment policy improvements in office and facility-based visits.
• No inflationary update.  Physicians are the only providers whose Medicare payments do not automatically receive an annual inflationary update. When adjusted for inflation, Medicare physician payments have dropped by 22% from 2001 to 2021.  During this time of record inflation on the heels of a highly disruptive pandemic, this statutory flaw amplifies the impact of proposed payment cuts. Physicians simply cannot afford to operate under the current payment system.

Representatives Ami Bera, M.D., (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon, M.D., (R-IN) introduced H.R. 8800 the "Supporting Medicare Providers Act" to help address the flawed payment system and stop 4.42% of the cuts related to budget neutrality adjustments in the Medicare Fee Schedule. Congress must reform the Medicare physician payment system to make it simpler, more reflective of real-world physician practice costs and more predictable and sustainable for physicians and patients before it’s too late!

Click here to urge your Senators and Representatives to protect the nation’s Medicare patients by stopping the cuts. 

Additionally, please click here to record a short video about how these cuts would hurt your patients and community!