On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1968, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, hoping to avert a government shutdown. However, the bill did not include a fix for a critical issue: the 2.83% cut to Medicare physician reimbursements that took effect on January 1, 2025. The Senate is now debating the legislation, and we await to see if it passes before tomorrow’s deadline.

Physicians were assured in December that this "Doc Fix" would be included in the March appropriations. Just a few days ago, Rep. Greg Murphy reaffirmed those assurances. Yet, once again, Congress failed to act, leaving Medicare physicians struggling to keep their practices afloat and continue providing quality care. 

While this is not the outcome physicians and advocates had hoped for, we are grateful for the work of Rep. Greg Murphy in championing solutions like H.R. 879. The provisions in this bill are too important to be overlooked. Even if H.R. 879 does not pass as a standalone measure, its language must be incorporated into a larger legislative package to ensure physicians receive the reimbursement they need to continue serving Medicare patients. 

Medicare reimbursement rates have plummeted—down 33% since 2001 when adjusted for inflation—while the cost of running a medical practice has soared. If Congress does not act, more physicians will be forced to reduce or stop accepting Medicare patients, jeopardizing access to care for millions. 

This fight isn’t over. We need your voice. Take action today by texting ZPDOC to 50457 or visiting our website to demand that Congress includes the critical provisions of H.R. 879 in upcoming legislation. Patients and physicians alike depend on it. To learn more, listen to our latest Zotec Answers podcast episode where Mark Isenberg breaks down the latest on the Medicare 'Doc Fix.'