Here are the federal policies that four physicians told Becker's they are watching most closely:
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Michael Patmas, MD. Physician Executive (New Mexico): My personal policy concern is centered on erosion of trust in public health policy. I fear that the administration will continue to diminish the role of public health, CDC, etc. I am not sure my physician-executive colleagues would agree with that as their top priority. From a healthcare organizational leadership perspective, I suspect reimbursement challenges will continue to be the main concern.
Justin Calvert, MD. Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Loma Linda (Calif.) University: Medicare payment reform is arguably the most pressing issue for physician practices, as Medicare payments to physicians have declined 29% since 2001 when adjusted for inflation. Two bills, the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act and the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, seek to improve the outdated and unsustainable Medicare physician fee system by eliminating the impending 2.8% physician fee cut scheduled for 2025 and add an annual inflationary update for physician reimbursement. Without this legislation, this year alone, physicians face a total 6.4% effective cut when accounting for the 3.6% increase in practice expenses.
Another key policy area is the expansion of federally funded graduate medical education positions. With the growing physician workforce shortage, up to an expected 134,000 by 2034, as well as the expansion of U.S. medical schools and graduates, residency positions are now a significant bottleneck for training future American physicians. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act sought to improve this situation by increasing the number of residency positions eligible for GME payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural and underserved areas. Title transparency legislation is also crucial for patient care. With an increasing number and type of non-physician providers working in healthcare, clear identification of credentials and education helps patients understand who is providing their care and make informed decisions about their healthcare providers.
Beth Doran, MD. Founder of Enabled Health: I am most concerned about what will happen to Medicare and Medicaid, especially surrounding privatization of Medicare. This has significant implications for my private practices as well as the patients that we treat. Traditionally Medicare leads the way in setting what the rates will be for Medicare Advantage plans for different procedures and also what CPT codes will be reimbursed, which unlocks new models (including telemedicine, chronic care, and RPM-centric models). Our clinic works on innovative models that rely heavily on these to provide comprehensive care, and I am concerned that with very slim margins and increasing expenditures in workforce salaries, treating patients on Medicare and Medicaid will be unsustainable if there are additional rate cuts or changes in reimbursement to established CPT codes. The uncertainty in general makes it challenging for our clinic to plan for the future or advise patients about their health strategy.
Harry Haus, MD. Medical Director of Dr. Haus & Associates (Erie, Pa.): The new telemedicine rules and the telemedicine license are the policies I am watching. I see all patients in person to start but if they are being treated for OUD or AUD, and they have been doing well, I start to do every other visit by telemedicine. Will I be required to get this new license and what will it cost?