Government
MedPAC finalizes physician pay advice
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 14, 2005
The panel that advises Congress on Medicare reimbursement levels officially called for physicians to receive an estimated 2.7% boost in their base rate next year.
The annual March report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission lays out payment recommendations that the group approved at its January meeting. If Congress follows MedPAC's advice, doctors would receive an update based on medical inflation minus a set percentage for an expected rise in physician productivity. If lawmakers fail to act before the end of the year, physicians will see a projected 5.2% cut in their Medicare payments in 2006.
The American Medical Association and MedPAC have called for Congress to scrap the current formula that helps determine physician pay.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/03/14/gvbf0314.htm.