• Co-sponsor the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act, H.R. 8163, to enhance Medicare reimbursement stability for physicians by modernizing the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
• Co-sponsor the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, H.R. 2028/S. 942, which would allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment on their federal student loans while in a medical or dental internship or residency program. 
• Co-sponsor the Protecting Free Vaccines Act, H.R.5448/S.285, to preserve coverage for safe and effective vaccines, backed by evidence-based science.

Background: 

ACP urges Congress to enact H.R. 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act . That bill would: 1) increase the budget neutrality threshold from its 1992 level of $20 million to $54.3 million for physician payments under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule; 2) implement corrections for estimated code utilization based on actual utilization rates derived from claims data; and 3) update cost calculations (wage rates for clinical labor and prices of equipment and medical supplies) regularly at least every five years. Improved financial support for physicians is needed to maintain access to care for Medicare patients.

We have also continuously urged Congress to pass the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (H.R. 2028/S. 942). The physician workforce shortage is worsening and the United States faces a projected shortage of up to 141,160 physicians by 2038—including a shortage of over 70,000 primary care physicians. A typical medical school graduate incurs approximately $228,000 in education debt when combining medical and  premedical education debt.  Other estimates place the average medical-school debt even higher.  These workforce shortages coupled with the high cost of medical debt make it imperative to pass legislation to provide deferred payments on interest for medical students. 

Finally, members of Congress should cosponsor and pass the Protecting Free Vaccines Act, H.R.5448/S.285, which would protect public health by guaranteeing that patients will have access to well-established vaccines backed by rigorous scientific standards and fact-based science, without cost-sharing. 

ACP strongly believes that vaccines are vital to our nation’s ability to mitigate diseases that threaten public health, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting evidence-based immunization practices. ACP supports the Protecting Free Vaccines Act to safeguard access to vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel in October 2024. The bill would preserve access to vaccines backed by rigorous scientific standards and ensure health plans will continue to cover them.

Action Requested: Please contact your members of Congress and ask for their support on these important priorities. A sample message has been provided for you that can be personalized. 

Please contact Shuan Tomlinson at stomlinson@acponline.org with any questions about this campaign.