ASA Commends Congressional Committee for New Steps Toward Medicare Payment Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today commended the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health for convening a hearing on Medicare payment reform, an important step toward fixing the deeply flawed Medicare payment system.

"We are encouraged that Congress is seriously engaged in addressing the longstanding challenges facing Medicare physician payment," said ASA President Patrick Giam, M.D., FASA. "After years of payment instability, rising practice costs, and recurring payment reductions, physicians need a more predictable and sustainable payment system that allows them to continue providing high-quality care to patients. I thank the committee for their leadership on these bills."

The hearing reviewed several health care bills, including the bipartisan Patients First Act, a comprehensive Medicare physician payment reform proposal led by the respective leaders of the Congressional GOP and Democratic Doctors Caucuses, Representatives John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), and Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA). ASA applauded the introduction of this bill as a first step towards efforts to stabilize physician practices while supporting better patient outcomes and access to care.

ASA noted in a formal communication to the committee that physician practices have faced increasing financial pressures as Medicare payment has failed to keep pace with inflation and the costs of delivering care. Without structural reforms, these challenges threaten the viability of anesthesiologists' practices and access to physician services for Medicare patients, particularly in underserved and rural communities.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 60,000 members organized to advance the medical practice of anesthesiology and secure its future. ASA is committed to ensuring anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of all patients before, during, and after surgery. ASA members also lead the care of critically ill patients in intensive care units, as well as treat pain in both acute and chronic settings.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about how anesthesiologists help ensure patient safety, visit asahq.org/madeforthismoment. Follow ASA on Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

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