Updated AMA analysis: Medicare physician payment continues to lag
Updated AMA analyses, depicted in a series of graphics, demonstrate that Medicare physician payment is lagging. One graphic (PDF) shows that from 2001 to 2026, Medicare physician payment increased by only 10%, whereas the cost of running a medical practice increased by 63%.
Other graphics examine physician payment and practice costs (PDF) and Medicare per enrollee spending (PDF) from 2015 onwards, when the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) was signed. These data provide empirical evidence of what many physicians already experience in their practice: lagging Medicare payment creates growing financial pressures as practice costs rise. Further, because Medicare often serves as a benchmark for other payers, this also contributes to inadequate physician payment across the health care system. More details and graphics can be found on the Fix Medicare Now site.
