As an advocate for my fellow seniors, and the former Executive Director of the Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging, I have long been concerned about preserving our seniors’ access to quality healthcare. With most of the Baby-Boom generation now squarely in their golden years, this issue becomes more pressing by the day. Unfortunately, years of Congressional kicking the can down the road have threatened to leave Missouri seniors with diminished access to the physician care upon which they rely. Currently there’s a bill in Congress that could avert this impending crisis, but it will take leadership from our representatives to get it across the finish line.
First, let’s understand the problem: this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have proposed a 2.8% cut in pay for physicians. This comes as nearly all other providers, such as skilled nurses, have received a payment increase in line with inflation. The reason is simple—most other care providers have automatic annual inflation payment updates written into the Medicare payment model, while physicians do not.
The result? Physicians are getting squeezed by lower Medicare payments and higher costs. In fact, while the cost of running a medical practice has increased by more than 50% between 2001 and 2024, Medicare physician payments have been reduced by 29%, adjusted for inflation. It’s no wonder a recent survey found one in five physicians are considering leaving their current practice within two years.
This poses an imminent threat to seniors’ access to physician care. Plain and simple: the more pressure Medicare’s payment model puts on physicians, the greater the likelihood that fewer Missouri physicians will be able to accept patients with Medicare. And while Washington may not mind the idea of paying for fewer Medicare patients’ visits to their doctors, every senior I know recognizes the important role that physicians play in their health care.
This impending collapse in Medicare recipients’ physician care access can be avoided, but the solution will demand immediate action by Congress. First, our leaders need to stop this proposed 2.8% cut in physician pay from going into effect in 2025. That will stem the bleeding for now. Needless to say, as autumn of 2024 winds to a close, the clock is ticking.
But we need to do more than stem the bleeding—we need to change the law so that physicians are no longer dependent on the whims of Congress to earn fair, inflation-adjusted payment from Medicare. The solution is H.R. 10073, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act, a bipartisan bill which supports physicians and protects access to care for Medicare beneficiaries. This legislation would cancel the 2.8% cut and provide a 1.8% payment update for 2025.
Congress needs to pass this bill and establish a permanent, fix to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and provide much-needed stability in the Medicare payment system that keeps up with the cost of practicing medicine and encourages practice innovation.
If you or someone you love is on Medicare, this payment problem will impact your life— either by risking losing your doctor’s care, or if Congress finally acts, preserving access to quality physician care for Medicare patients for years to come. Please join me in asking your US Representative to support H.R. 10073, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act, and fix the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule once and for all.
Concerned Senior
