Murphy: Bill needed to preserve Medicare for patients, physicians | North Carolina

(The Center Square) – Protection of access to care for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly in rural and underserved areas, has drawn a proposal from a North Carolina congressman in part combatting a 2024 rule finalization from the Biden administration.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in November finalized the rule implemented Jan. 1, cutting Medicare reimbursement to physicians by 2.83%. The agency projected a 3.6% increase in practice cost expenses in 2025, meaning a 6.43% cut for physicians.

U.S. Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy, a practicing urologist, says “unprecedented financial viability challenges due to continued Medicare cuts” is going to hit millions of American seniors.

“Doctors see Medicare patients out of compassion, not for financial gain,” he said. “On top of that, the expense of providing care continues to rise due to medical inflation. This inflation, coupled with declining reimbursement rates, creates enormous financial pressures on physicians, forcing many to retire early, stop accepting new Medicare patients, or sell out to larger, consolidated hospital systems, private equity, or even insurance companies.”

Murphy said private practice medicine – still the most cost-efficient and personalized in care – is in jeopardy. The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act prevents further cuts, gives an inflationary adjustment to ease care costs, and keeps Medicare viable for doctors and patients.

Medicare reimbursement has dropped 33% since 2001, Murphy says. A March report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 86,000 physicians by 2036. Chief Health Care Officer Dr. Jonathan Jaffery said primary care and specialists are already tough to find.

Doctors and U.S. Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif., Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, advocated for seniors, spoke out against more cuts to doctors, and said congressional assistance is needed.

“The rising cost of delivering care, coupled with increasing administrative burdens, makes it clear that Medicare payment policies must evolve to reflect the true costs faced by physicians,” said U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney.