Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, president of the American Medical Association, urged members to contact congressional representatives in an effort to eliminate looming Medicare pay cuts. He made the push during his speech at the 2023 AMA Interim Meeting on Nov. 10, according to an article on the association's website.
Dr. Ehrenfeld aimed to rally support for the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, a bill introduced to Congress earlier this year that proposes linking the Medicare physician payment schedule to the Medicare Economic Index, according to an April 12 article by the AMA.
When adjusted for inflation, Medicare physician payment has dropped 26% since 2001, while payments to hospitals and nursing facilities have kept pace with inflation, according to the article. The physician fee schedule for 2024 proposes a further cut of 3.37%.
The upcoming payment "cuts are too deep, too relentless, and they touch too many lives — physicians and patients alike," Dr. Ehrenfeld said in his speech. "We must keep the pressure on. And we will."