A powerful but often misunderstood legislative tool, budget reconciliation, is now at the center of shaping healthcare access. This fast-track process lets Congress pass tax and spending-related legislation with a simple majority. It all begins with a budget resolution, a kind of legislative blueprint, followed by committee negotiations, culminating in a final vote in both chambers, and, ultimately, landing on the President’s desk. While it mostly unfolds behind closed doors, the outcome of this process will directly impact Medicare, Medicaid, and the millions who rely on them. 

This year’s reconciliation package has raised serious concerns for physicians and patients. Cuts to key programs, especially Medicare and Medicaid, threaten to worsen the existing crisis in access to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. For context, inflation-adjusted Medicare physician reimbursement has dropped more than 33% since 2001, and physicians are already struggling under years of compounding cuts. With the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) signaling an inflation rate of about 3%, now is the best opportunity in years for a long-overdue adjustment.  

The bottom line? Time is short and the stakes are high. Now is the time to speak up.  

Mark Isenberg and Ed Gaines unpack all of this in the latest episode of Zotec Answers. Tune into the episode and then, take 60 seconds to make a difference: Text ZPFIX to 50457 to contact your representative. If they serve on the House Ways and Means or Energy and Commerce Committees, your voice is especially important. But even if they don’t, your outreach can still influence the process as committee members listen to their colleagues. Let’s make sure they’re hearing from all of us.