GOP Doc Caucus endorses H.R. 879, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act
The effort to enact legislation, H.R. 879, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act, which seeks to reverse the latest round of physician payment cuts, continues to elicit support both from members of Congress and outside health care stakeholders. Introduced by Representatives Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), along with 8 other members of Congress, H.R. 879 has garnered 100+ total bipartisan cosponsors.
Grassroots advocacy efforts from AMA members, as well as the Capitol Hill visits conducted as part of the Feb. 2025 AMA National Advocacy Conference (NAC), undoubtedly played a major role in securing such a large number of cosponsors in a short period of time. More specifically, the AMA’s Feb. 11 “Fix Medicare Now Kickoff” event, which was held in conjunction with the NAC, served as a key rallying point following speeches from eight members of Congress in the historic House Cannon Caucus Room regarding the importance of passing H.R. 879. The AMA, in conjunction with other Federation members, continues to push congressional leadership to include the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act in a forthcoming, yet-to-be-released bill to fund the federal government beyond the March 14 statutory deadline.
In a major boost for the overarching advocacy campaign, the GOP Doctors Caucus issued a press release via X (formerly Twitter) on Feb. 28 announcing its endorsement of the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act. In addition, the AMA joined more than 100 national and state health care organizations as a cosigner of a Feb. 28 letter (PDF) to House and Senate leadership in support of H.R. 879. More than 130 national societies and state medical associations sent a similar letter of support (PDF) to congressional leadership on Feb. 10 following the introduction of the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act.
The path forward for Medicare physician payment reform and its implications for value-based care in new Congress and administration
On Feb. 25, two members of the AMA advocacy staff in Washington presented at the fourth annual Value-Based Payment Summit on Medicare physician payment reform efforts and their implications for the future of value-based care. Chris Sherin, assistant director, Division of Congressional Affairs, spoke on AMA’s efforts to work with Congress to secure a permanent, inflationary update to Medicare physician payments as well as budget neutrality reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Suzanne Joy, assistant director, Division of Federal Affairs, spoke to AMA’s efforts to overhaul the Merit-based Incentive Payment System program and create a robust pathway forward to Alternative Payment Models. The two also previewed what to expect in the coming March budget negotiations as well as Trump administration priorities. The presentation can be viewed on-demand. More information on the AMA’s advocacy efforts to stabilize Medicare physician payments can be found at FixMedicareNow.org.
More articles in this issue
- March 7, 2025: National Advocacy Update
- March 7, 2025: State Advocacy Update
- March 7, 2025: Advocacy Update other news
