CMS Proposes 2.8 Percent Cut to Medicare Physician Fees

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a series of changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule, including a 2.8 percent cut to physician payments that has drawn criticism from industry groups who complain of increased operating costs due to inflation. CMS said in a July 10 statement that its proposed updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for 2025 include the creation of additional primary care management services, such as new payments for safety planning interventions, telehealth flexibilities for opioid treatment programs, and incentives to improve access to care in rural areas. “The Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule supports physicians and other practitioners in delivering care that meets the needs of people with Medicare, including through telehealth flexibilities, strengthened primary, behavioral, and oral health care, and improved access to caregiver training services,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement....