The AAMC responded on July 9 (PDF) to a request for information (RFI) issued by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) regarding their Pay PCPs Act of 2024 (S. 4338). The legislation would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish hybrid Medicare payments for primary care providers who provided high quality care to their patients and also provided Medicare beneficiaries with reduced cost-sharing for primary care services.
The AAMC’s response to the RFI highlighted the challenges and deficiencies in the Medicare physician fee schedule, noting that Congress must take bipartisan action to address insufficient physician payment rates. The AAMC acknowledged the potential for hybrid payment models in primary care to ensure financial sustainability, address provider burnout, and enhance care delivery, particularly through team-based approaches and digital health. The RFI response noted that integrating these hybrid payments into total cost-of-care alternative payment models can reduce design complexity and incentivize participation, but it would require congressional action to repeal the CMS' revenue distinctions that currently limit the applicability of these models.
Responses to the RFI are due July 15.
- Washington Highlights