ACRO welcomes the introduction of bipartisan legislation aimed at modernizing the Medicare physician payment system and strengthening independent physician practice.
On July 15, Reps. John Joyce, MD (R-Pa.), Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.) and Kim Schrier, MD (D-Wash.) introduced the bipartisan Patients First Act, which would reform the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
Among its proposed reforms, the legislation would:
Tie physician reimbursement updates to an inflationary measure
Establish a primary care hybrid payment pilot program that would provide participating primary care physicians with per-member-per-month payments alongside traditional fee-for-service reimbursement
Establish the POINTS program, creating a physician- and clinician-led CMS task force to develop streamlined quality measures and reduce administrative burden
Freeze A-APM participation thresholds for three years and establish notice-and-comment periods for mandatory CMMI models
Increase the budget neutrality threshold from $20 million to $54.3 million
ACRO continues to advocate for meaningful Medicare physician payment reform that supports independent practices, reduces unnecessary administrative burden — and most importantly protects patients’ access to high-quality, physician-led cancer care. The Patients First Act represents an important bipartisan effort to address many of these longstanding challenges.
ACRO looks forward to working with policymakers and physician organizations as Congress considers this legislation and will continue advocating for policies that preserve patient access to physician-led care and ensure the long-term sustainability of independent medical practice.
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