MGMA testimony on bolstering chronic care through physician payment (June 13, 2024)

June 14, 2024 

Re: MGMA Response to the Senate Committee on Finance’s White Paper, “Bolstering Chronic Care through Physician Payment: Current Challenges and Policy Options in Medicare Part B”

Dear Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo:

On behalf of our member medical group practices, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) would like to thank the Committee for releasing its white paper on bolstering chronic care through physician payment and seeking feedback on ways to fix the flawed Medicare payment system. Significant reforms are needed to stop the harmful yearly Medicare reimbursement cuts and support medical groups’ ability to offer high-quality care to patients with chronic conditions.

With a membership of more than 60,000 medical practice administrators, executives, and leaders, MGMA represents more than 15,000 medical group practices ranging from small private medical practices to large national health systems, representing more than 350,000 physicians. MGMA’s diverse membership uniquely situates us to offer the following policy recommendations.

Medicare physician reimbursement is on a dire trajectory and annual cuts to physician payment coupled with a lack of an inflationary update continue to undermine the ability of medical group practices to keep their doors open and function effectively. Medical groups have had to make drastic decisions due to the perilous payment environment — the current situation is untenable and cannot continue.

View the full letter