Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Provider Reimbursement Stability Act to Ensure Long-Term Access to Medical Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Boozman (R-AR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall M.D. (R-KS), Angus King (I-ME), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act to modernize Medicare’s Physician Fee Schedule (MFPS). The bipartisan, comprehensive legislation would create greater predictability in Medicare physician payments, preserve patient access to care and better reflect the actual cost of delivering medical services.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), when adjusted for inflation, Medicare reimbursement for physician services has declined 33 percent since 2001. This reduction, attributed to the Medicare budget neutrality threshold last updated in 1992 and other factors, has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of care. The legislation reforms key structural components of the MPFS, helping preserve physicians’ ability to care for Medicare patients.
“More than two million Medicare beneficiaries in North Carolina depend on timely access to quality care,” said Senator Tillis . “Year after year, Medicare reimbursement cuts have made it harder for physicians to care for patients. This bipartisan legislation makes long overdue reforms to outdated policies to ensure physicians are fairly reimbursed and seniors continue to have access to the care they deserve.”
“Providers should not face unpredictable payment cuts that make it more difficult to care for patients. Modernizing Medicare reimbursement is an important step toward ensuring long-term financial stability for our health care providers and preserving access to quality care. Our bill is a bipartisan solution that will more accurately reflect the costs of delivering quality care, which ultimately benefits patients in Arkansas and across our country,” said Senator Boozman .
“Outdated policies are creating instability for doctors and threatening access to care for Medicare patients in Vermont and across the country. Our commonsense, bipartisan bill will help ensure physicians can continue providing vital care to our communities,” said Senator Welch .
“For 25 years, I cared for patients in western Kansas. Like many, I didn’t go into medicine to worry about Washington’s payment formulas – I went into medicine to take care of people,” said Senator Marshall . “When doctors can’t make the numbers work, patients lose access to care. This legislation is a commonsense step toward stabilizing physician reimbursement so doctors can spend more time caring for patients and less time worrying about whether they can afford to stay in practice.”
“Accessible, reliable health care is essential for seniors across Maine, particularly in our rural communities where providers are already stretched thin,” said Senator King . “The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act would help ensure that Medicare providers are fairly reimbursed so they can continue delivering the full range of care that Maine seniors depend on for their healthcare needs. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this commonsense bipartisan legislation to strengthen access to quality care for older Americans.”
“It’s critical we do all we can to ensure that Granite Staters who rely on Medicare for health insurance have access to the quality, affordable care they need,” said Senator Shaheen . “This bipartisan bill would make sure physicians are fairly compensated and guarantee adequate reimbursement for providers, which would help strengthen Medicare’s dependability for patients now and into the future.”

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