Recently, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., Ami Bera, D-Calif., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa. This bipartisan legislation would add a permanent, Medicare Economic Index-based inflationary update to the Medicare Fee Schedule.

APTA is advocating for major reforms to the Medicare Fee Schedule. This legislation is a great first step and a major element that will need to be included in any reform effort.

Without an inflation-based update the resulting consequences to the physical therapy profession would worsen including:

• The gap between frozen fee schedule payment rates and rising practice costs due to inflation continues to widen considerably. 
• The increasing discrepancy between what it costs to run a practice and actual payment.
• The administrative and financial burden of participating in Medicare is contributing to provider burnout, decreasing patient access to care, and is unsustainable.

APTA advocates must take action. Please take a few minutes to contact your representative and urge them to help fix the flawed Medicare physician payment system by co-sponsoring H.R. 2474.