Zinke, Colleagues Work to Protect Medicare

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Zinke sent a letter along with several other lawmakers to House and Senate leadership urging Congressional action to prevent the impending 3.37% cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians.

This potential 3.37% reduction comes after three years of consecutive cuts to Medicare services. If Congress does not act this year, Medicare payments will have been cut by almost 10% in four years, which is simply unsustainable for our nation's medical groups, physicians, and other health care providers. If these Medicare cuts are not prevented, medical groups and integrated systems of care especially in Montana will be forced to eliminate services, furlough staff, implement hiring freezes, and delay population health initiatives. Congress must ensure that Medicare providers continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation’s seniors who rely on Medicare.

“I have had many, manyhealth care professionals speak to me regarding reimbursement rates from Medicare and they are worried about the situation at hand,” Zinke said. “They have seen cuts for the past four years and they are no longer able to sustain their clinics. On the other side of the coin, rising costs and decreasing payments mean that not only the Medicare providers suffer but the patients do too. Top-shelf health care for Montanan’s senior’s and taking care of small businesses are both things I’ve committed to and want to be sure leadership is aware of this situation so we can find a fix.”  

Read the letter below or at this link.

Dear Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries: We write today as a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging you to act quickly to prevent a 3.37% cut to Medicare reimbursement payments that will occur on January 1, 2024. We in Congress must continue our partnership with the physician and provider community to ensure that Medicare patients continue to have access to quality care. Physicians and other healthcare providers, who are confronting inflationary pressures and workforce shortages, need Congress to prevent this cut, which will add significant burdens to the healthcare infrastructure and the communities they serve.

This potential 3.37% reduction comes after three years of consecutive cuts to Medicare services.

If Congress does not act this year, Medicare payments will have been cut by almost 10% in four years, which is simply unsustainable for our nation's medical groups, physicians, and other health care providers. In fact, we have heard from physician and other provider organizations that due to these past cuts and the potential for additional Medicare cuts, medical groups and integrated systems of care have and will continue to eliminate services. This includes implementing hiring freezes, delaying system improvements and the implementation of care model changes such as transitioning to value-based care systems.

The effects of these cuts will be exacerbated in rural and underserved areas, which continue to

face significant healthcare access challenges. Medicare physicians and other providers do not

receive inflationary updates in the Medicare program, which is partially why eliminating these potential cuts is so crucial. We as policymakers must ensure that physicians and other providers who treat Medicare patients continue to have the necessary financial support to care for our nation's seniors. We appreciate your attention to this critical issue and look forward to working together to ensure these cuts are prevented.

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