Luke Barré, MD, MPH, RhMSUS, has been elected to the American Medical Association’s Relative Value Update Committee. He is the second rheumatologist to hold the seat in recent years and will ensure representation of the specialty during valuation of physician services.
The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 would fully offset the harmful 2.8% cut in the MPFS and include an additional 2% payment update to physician services furnished after April 1.
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, released Nov. 1, includes a conversion factor of $32.3465, a 2.83% drop from 2024. In response to advocacy efforts from the ACR and other medical societies, Congress recently introduced the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024, which would eliminate the 2.83% payment cut and provide an inflationary update for 2025 equal to 50% of the Medicare Economic Index.
A letter from 233 bipartisan members of Congress last week urged House leadership to replace the 2.8% cut proposed in the FY2025 Physician Fee Schedule with an annual payment update reflective of inflationary pressures before the end of the year. Boost this effort by contacting your legislator today.
The ACR will provide comments on several provisions related to Medicare physician payment and the Quality Payment Program.
The ACR is encouraged that lawmakers are discussing Medicare physician payment reform and continues to work to educate lawmakers about the importance of both short- and long-term policy solutions. Support grassroots efforts by messaging your lawmakers today.
An ACR-led resolution that calls for Medicaid payment parity for pediatric specialists will become AMA policy.
Rheumatology fellow Audrey Liu, MD, describes the excitement and empowerment of seeing first-hand the real-world impact of advocating for policies that support providers and patients.
On May 6–7, nearly 100 rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals converged in Washington, D.C., for the ACR’s annual Advocacy Leadership Conference and 137 meetings on Capitol Hill. You can help extend the efforts of these advocates and amplify their impact by contacting your lawmakers via the Legislative Action Center.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 increased the Medicare conversion factor by 1.68% effective March 9, bringing it to $33.2875 for March 9–Dec. 31, 2024.