Background

On July 15, Representatives John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA-13), Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC-03), and Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA-08) – chairs of the GOP and Democratic Doctors Caucuses — introduced the bipartisan Patients First Act of 2026.

ACP, a longtime advocate for strengthening primary care, applauded the bill's introduction. The legislation includes several reforms ACP has championed, which would:

• Update the Medicare physician fee schedule with inflationary adjustments for long-term stability.
• Increase investment in primary care through a hybrid payment demonstration project, supporting independent physician-owned practices without patient cost sharing.
• Raise the threshold for triggering budget neutrality in Medicare, reducing the likelihood of negative payment adjustments.
• Require retroactive adjustments to correct inaccurate payment estimates.

If enacted, the Patients First Act would provide much-needed reform to how Medicare pays physicians.

Action Requested

Please email your U.S. Representative and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 9693, the Patients First Act of 2026. A sample message is provided below and can be personalized. Please contact Shuan Tomlinson or Aleah Jensen with any questions about this campaign. Thank you for your continued advocacy.