MedPAC Recommendations about Medicare Reimbursement

Last week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) introduced a proposal to fix the formula used to establish Medicare physician pay that includes an 18 percent cut in reimbursement for specialists (5.9 percent for three years), followed by a seven-year freeze at the reduced level. Over the past decade, freezes in Medicare reimbursement have already meant physician fees have lagged inflation by about 16 percent. Read more.

AAO Opposes MedPAC's Medicare Proposal

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), independent Congressional advisory committee for the Medicare program, late last week introduced a proposal to fix the formula used to establish Medicare physician pay that includes an 18 percent cut in reimbursement for specialists (5.9 percent for three years), followed by a seven-year freeze at the reduced level. Over the past decade, freezes in Medicare reimbursement have already meant physician fees have lagged inflation by about 16 percent, according to a press release from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. While the American Academy of Ophthalmology is encouraged that MedPAC recognizes the critical need for a new Medicare pay formula for physicians that protects patients' access to quality medical care, the Academy strongly opposes the MedPAC proposal.Read more.