Congress Recognizes Need for Additional COVID Relief with $1.9 Trillion Package; Congress Must Act to Prevent Medicare Cuts
Alexandria, VA – AMGA appreciates the investments Congress made today in vaccine distribution, COVID-19 testing and surveillance, and efforts to expand affordable health insurance coverage. Passage of the American Rescue Plan acknowledges the continued threat COVID-19 poses to our nation’s health and economy. The additional federal support will provided needed assistance to state and local public health authorities, healthcare providers, and individuals and families harmed by this pandemic.
“It’s been a long year for everyone—patients, providers, families, students, the whole country,” said AMGA President and CEO Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A. “The investments in this legislation will help the ongoing fight against COVID-19 as well as our economic recovery.”
Enactment of the American Rescue Plan, however, would trigger automatic spending cuts as a deficit control measure and mandate $36 billion in Medicare cuts in fiscal year 2022. Congress needs to act quickly to cancel these statutorily mandated spending cuts to ensure they do not undermine the investments and progress made in fighting COVID-19.
“Cutting billions from the Medicare program now would undermine healthcare providers who have heroically rallied all year to care for their patients and communities,” Penso said. “Now is not the time for Congress to forget the sacrifices our providers have made during the pandemic. We call on Congress to quickly remedy this problem and support the provider community.”
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About AMGA
AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate, and empower our members to deliver the next level of high performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of our members’ recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high-quality, high-value care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three Americans.