A bipartisan group of physician Members of Congress introduced the Patients First Act, comprehensive legislation to reform Medicare physician payment and replace the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The bill is led by physician members of Congress Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC), John Joyce, MD (R-PA), and Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA) who chair their parties’ respective “Doc” caucuses. The Advocacy Council maintains strong relations with these offices and met with all three during this year’s ACAAI Strike Force meetings in Washington, DC. The legislation reflects growing bipartisan recognition that the current Medicare physician payment system is unsustainable and that physician-led reforms are needed to protect patient access to care.
The proposal includes several significant reforms, including annual inflation-based updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor, changes to budget neutrality rules, regular updates to practice expense valuations, and replacement of MIPS with a new quality program known as POINTS that provides greater clinician input and reduces administrative burden. It also includes policies intended to strengthen independent physician practices and improve physician participation in quality measure development.
This legislation is an excellent example of College advocacy in action. Many of the issues addressed in the bill, including physician payment stability, MIPS reform, and reducing administrative burden, have been consistent priorities raised by ACAAI during our meetings with members of Congress. While the bill could change if it moves through Congress, it represents an encouraging bipartisan step toward meaningful Medicare physician payment reform and demonstrates the value of sustained physician advocacy.
Sources
- Bill text: Patients First Act Bill Text
- Section-by-section summary: Patients First Act Section-by-Section Summary
The Advocacy Council – ADVOCATING FOR ALLERGISTS AND THEIR PATIENTS.
