The physician shortage will worsen – unless Congress acts now
Congress has an opportunity to reverse the worsening physician shortage and bolster access to care for millions of people.
Inadequate Medicare payment doesn’t just affect health care providers — it impacts all seniors’ access to care. For years now, Medicare reimbursements have not kept up with rising medical costs or inflation.
America’s doctors are rapidly disappearing into hospital systems. And government distortions, through Medicare’s payment rules, are a big reason why. Higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for patients are the ultimate result.
For years, physician reimbursement from Medicare has stagnated, even declined. Congress needs to fundamentally change how Medicare pays doctors. Failing to do so will deprive countless patients—especially seniors—of timely access to care.
Former Rep. J.C. Watts says outdated Medicare payment rates are worsening Oklahoma’s physician shortage and limiting seniors’ access to care. He calls on Congress to update physician reimbursements for inflation to keep rural and independent practices open.
Chronic diseases, the number of Medicare beneficiaries, and the cost of running a practice are all on the rise. But what Medicare pays physicians is woefully inadequate, and it threatens Oklahomans’ access to care.
In a state that is 88% rural, Virginians who live outside major cities are at serious risk of losing access to care. With fewer physicians available, patients often must wait longer for care and pay more out of pocket — costs that many simply can't afford.
For too long, Washington has steered the Medicare payment system down a road that starves it of sufficient funding and ultimately penalizes physicians, patients and taxpayers.
Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA, president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, shares why ophthalmologists must push Washington to uphold surgical standards and strengthen access to care through reforms in Medicare reimbursement and prior authorization guardrails.
Medicare’s long-term financial outlook is in dire straits. While spending is already historically high, the Congressional Budget Office projects that, without fundamental reform, things will only get worse.
We’re dedicated to raising awareness of Medicare physician payment system problems so that we can work towards solutions that protect physician practices and patients’ access to care. It’s vital that patients and physicians use their voices to advocate for change.
Click the button below to learn about the various ways to get involved in the fight to Fix Medicare Now.