Congress released omnibus legislation to fund the government through September, and the bill includes CMS physician fee cuts, according to The Washington Post.
The package partially halts the planned 4.5 percent Medicare reimbursement cut, which is scheduled to grow over the next two years. The American Medical Association and other physician groups have lobbied to fully prevent the Medicare cuts, which could be especially devastating for independent physician groups already struggling to stay afloat amid inflation.
"The AMA is extremely disappointed and dismayed that Congress failed to prevent Medicare cuts next year, threatening the financial viability of physician practices and endangering access to care for Medicare beneficiaries," Jack Resneck Jr., MD, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement shared with Becker's. "This 2 percent cut following two decades of flat payment rates will have consequences on healthcare access for older Americans."
The bill also would extend the provider bonus for participating in Medicare value-based payments, but reduced the incentive from 5 percent to 3.5 percent, according to the report.
Both the Senate and House of Representatives aim to pass the $1.7 trillion spending bill this week, according to the Post.