Florida Medical Association Supports Resolution on Medicare Physician Payment Reform by the American Medical Association
For Immediate Release | Contact: Christina Johnson, (850) 391-5040 | June 12, 2023
(Tallahassee, Fla.) – Today, Florida Medical Association (FMA) President Joshua Lenchus, DO, and Corey Howard, MD, Chair of the FMA's delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA), praised the national organization for adopting a resolution entitled “Physician Payment Reform,” which aims to achieve predictable, sustainable, and fair physician payment through Medicare.

“The resolution brought forth by 11 states, including Florida and several specialty societies, recognizes that Medicare physician payment reform is of critical importance to allow medical professionals to be made whole for the care they give to their patients, so that Florida doctors may do what they do best: practice medicine,” Dr. Lenchus said.

“This is a top priority not only here in Florida, but across the country. We must ensure that physician payments are updated annually at least equal to the annual percentage increase in the Medicare Economic Index, and rates are sufficient to cover the full cost of sustainable medical practice. This is a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Howard.

The AMA resolution is below.
    AMA EFFORTS ON MEDICARE PAYMENT REFORM
    RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association declare Medicare physician payment reform as an urgent advocacy and legislative priority for our AMA; and be it further

    RESOLVED, That our AMA prioritize significant increases in funding for federal and state advocacy budgets specifically allocated to achieve Medicare physician payment reform to ensure that physician payments are updated annually at least equal to the annual percentage increase in the Medicare Economic Index; and be it further
    RESOLVED, That our AMA Board of Trustees report back to the House of Delegates at each annual and interim meeting on the progress of our AMA in achieving Medicare payment reform until predictable, sustainable, fair physician payment is achieved.

    The newly adopted AMA Policy D-390.922 to read as follows:

    Physician Payment Reform and Equity, D-390.922 Our AMA will implement a comprehensive advocacy campaign, including a sustained national media strategy engaging patients and physicians in promoting Medicare physician payment reform, to achieve enactment of reforms to the Medicare physician payment system consistent with AMA policy and in accord with the principles (Characteristics of a Rational Medicare Payment System) endorsed by over 120 state and medical specialty 45 Federation of Medicine members.  Reference Committee B (A-23)

    RESOLVED, That our AMA reaffirm AMA Policy H-390-849, “Physician Payment Reform,” which states, among other things, that our AMA will advocate for the development and adoption of physician payment reforms that are designed with input from the physician community, do not require budget neutrality within Medicare Part B, and are based on payment rates that are sufficient to cover the full cost of sustainable medical practice. 

    RESOLVED, That our AMA reaffirm AMA Policy D-390.946, “Sequestration,” which states, among other things, that our AMA will continue to seek positive inflation-adjusted annual physician payment updates that keep pace with rising practice costs, ensure Medicare physician payments are sufficient to safeguard beneficiary access to care, and work towards the elimination of budget neutrality requirements within Medicare Part B; as well as our AMA advocate strongly to the Administration and Congress that additional funds must be put into the Medicare physician payment system to address increasing costs of physician practices, and payment policies that allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to retroactively adjust overestimates of volume of services.