Congress Must Act to Prevent Medicare Cuts in 2024 Physician Fee Schedule
AMGA today called on Congress to prevent proposed cuts to the Medicare conversion factor from hindering the ability of multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care to provide high-quality care to their patients.
AMGA Pleased Proposal Includes Telehealth Payment Parity
Alexandria, VA – AMGA today called on Congress to prevent proposed cuts to the Medicare conversion factor from hindering the ability of multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care to provide high-quality care to their patients. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a cut in the Medicare conversion factor that, if left unaddressed, would exacerbate the financial pressures facing AMGA members, as Medicare physician payments already are not keeping up with the increasing cost of delivering healthcare.
“AMGA members cannot absorb this proposed payment cut,” said AMGA President and CEO Jerry Penso, MD, MBA. “Their expenses are continuing to increase, and Congress needs to act to ensure Medicare’s reimbursement reflects the cost of delivering high-quality care to patients. We’re concerned AMGA members may be forced to make tough decisions on staffing and the services they can offer to their communities if proposed cuts are left unaddressed.”
CMS has proposed a conversion factor of $32.75 for 2024, reflecting a 3.4% decrease from the CY 2023 conversion factor of 33.89%. AMGA opposes this cut.
Telehealth Payment Parity
AMGA commends CMS for proposing reimbursement policies that treat telehealth care as equivalent to in-office care. It has become evident that the cost of treating patients through telehealth does not differ from an in-person visit, and AMGA is pleased that CMS’ proposal for Medicare reimbursement policy reflects this fact. Today’s rule builds on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 public health emergency, which demonstrated how vital telehealth care is to providing access to high-quality healthcare.
“Providing telehealth services is as labor- and time-intensive as an in-person visit,” Penso added. “It simply isn’t the case that telehealth is a less expensive way of treating patients, and this proposal is a welcome development. Patients expect telehealth to be available, and today’s rule will help ensure it remains a viable option for AMGA members and their patients.”
AMGA is reviewing the proposed rule and will provide detailed comments.
###
About AMGA
AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of healthcare 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.
AMGA represents medical groups and integrated systems of care. Its diverse membership includes multispecialty medical groups, integrated delivery systems, accountable care organizations, and other entities committed to improving healthcare outcomes. AMGA advocates for the formation of innovative, clinically integrated systems of care that advance population health, enhance patient experience, and reduce healthcare costs. For more information, please visit www.amga.org.