A bipartisan letter led by Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to Senate leaders argues that the cuts will hinder physicians’ ability to provide high-quality care.
CMS’ 2025 physician payment rule, published Nov. 1, includes a 94 cent (2.83%) conversion factor decrease from 2024. The physician fee schedule conversion factor for 2025 is $32.35, down from $33.29 in 2024.
“To put it bluntly, Medicare plans to pay us less while costs go up,” American Medical Association President Bruce Scott, MD, said in a Nov. 1 statement. “You don’t have to be an economist to know that is an unsustainable trend, though one that has been going on for decades. For physician practices operating on small margins already, this means it is harder to acquire new equipment, harder to retain staff, harder to take on new Medicare patients, and harder to keep the doors open, particularly in rural and underserved areas.”
With few days left to legislate, physicians have asked lawmakers to make this a priority during the lame-duck session.
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