“The AMA strongly agrees with MedPAC’s concerns about the expiration of the bonus payments for physicians who participate in alternative payment models,” said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, MD. “Congress should continue to invest in these payments to provide the funding physicians need to transition to APMs, including carrying this momentum forward into specialties, geographic areas, and patient communities that have not yet had the opportunity to participate in APMs.”

Catching up on Medicare basics

While the AMA is working relentlessly to build understanding on Capitol Hill about the unsustainable path the Medicare payment system is on, preventing further cuts means getting to the root causes of what’s wrong with Medicare physician payment.

That is why the AMA created the Medicare Basics series, which provides an in-depth look at important aspects of the Medicare physician payment system. With these six straightforward explainers, policymakers and physician advocates can learn about key elements of the payment system and why they are in need of reform.