For decades, Medicare physician reimbursements have failed to keep up with inflation, despite other Medicare participants receiving annual inflationary updates. Further, the yearly threat – and implementation – of significant cuts to Medicare physician payments continues to destabilize our nation’s health care safety net. Emergency departments across the country are already struggling under the severe strain of the patient boarding crisis, near or even past the breaking point with EDs overflowing and patients waiting for follow-up care even after they’ve been seen and stabilized.

Rather than face a yearly scramble to address steep payment cuts, we urge Congress to work with us and other stakeholders to identify policy solutions that will provide long-term stability for Medicare beneficiaries and the physicians who manage and provide their health care.

Ask your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor and support the bipartisan “Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act” (H.R. 2474), which will establish an inflationary update in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) based on the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).