68 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, 90% of whom are over the age of 65. Medicare is a federal health insurance program that helps people pay for hospitalizations, physician services, prescription drugs, home and skilled nursing care and hospice care.

Medicare expenditures are expected to double by 2030 with the aging of the Baby Boomer population, and the concern is that funding will not cover the rising costs.  Medicare is funded primarily by payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, and taxes on social security benefits. 

One of the ways the Government has controlled the costs of Medicare is to limit the payments made by Medicare to doctors for the services they provide.  Medicare physician payment has been cut 29% since 2001, and an additional almost 3% cut is scheduled for 2025. 

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), this is leading to reduced access to care for patients, with many physician practices eliminating staff or limiting the number of Medicare patients they see. And this is compounded by physician workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Bruce Scott, MD, President of the American Medical Association (AMA) discusses their appeal to Congress to eliminate the 3% cut for 2025 and restore reimbursements to a level that covers costs.

Dr. Scott also tells how WE can communicate with our elected representatives to inform them that these Medicare reimbursement cuts are harming patient accessibility and quality of treatment in healthcare.