Last week, the bipartisan Doctors Caucus chairs – United States Representatives John Joyce, MD, Greg Murphy, MD, and Kim Schrier, MD – introduced the Patients First Act, HR 9693. A proposal to reform MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act) and the Medicare physician payment system.
The proposed legislation would make several significant changes to Medicare physician payment with the goal of creating a more stable and predictable system. It would tie annual payment updates more closely to inflation, provide additional support for independent and rural physician practices, and launch a five-year pilot program that combines traditional fee-for-service payments with monthly care management payments for primary care practices.
The bill would also replace the current Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) with a new quality reporting program called the Patient Outcome Improvement National Tabulation System (POINTS). The new program is designed to simplify reporting, reduce administrative burden, and place greater emphasis on patient outcomes while giving physicians a stronger voice in developing quality measures.
Overall, the legislation aims to improve payment stability, reduce paperwork, encourage participation in value-based care, and help ensure Medicare patients continue to have access to high-quality physician care.
