The California Medical Association released a list of recommendations April 4 designed to increase the physician workforce in that state and across the country.
Here are the CMA's four key action items:
- Prior authorization reform should be implemented to prevent delayed care and improve care outcomes for patients and remove the burden on physician practices.
- The Medicare physician fee schedule should be updated, allowing physicians to engage in a variety of alternative payment models and keep up with practice costs.
- Federal matching funds and Medicaid payment rates should be increased in areas with high rates of Medicare enrollment, which would protect patient access to care and maintain safety net physician practices.
- The cap Medicare graduate medical education residency programs — which was put in place in 1997 — should be lifted to replace the aging physician workforce by providing more residency opportunities.