The AASM is one of 120 medical specialty societies to sign on to the American Medical Association’s Characteristics of a Rational Medicare Payment System. With more cuts to physician reimbursement looming in 2023, this document outlines principles for a rational and equitable Medicare payment system. The principles of payment reform supported by the AMA and many other medical specialties include:
- Ensuring financial stability and predictability through a baseline positive annual update reflecting inflation in practice costs, and by eliminating, replacing, or revising budget neutrality requirements to allow for appropriate changes in spending growth.
- Promoting a value-based care system by rewarding the value of care provided to patients, instead of administrative activities that burden physicians, which may not be relevant to the service being provided or the patient receiving care.
- Safeguarding access to high-quality care by advancing health equity and reducing disparities by innovating risk-adjusted payment models that recognize physicians’ contributions to reducing health disparities as well as addressing social drivers of care and tackling health inequities of historically marginalized, high-risk, hard-to-reach patient populations.
The AMA believes these principles of payment reform, endorsed by 120 medical specialty societies, will provide simplicity, relevance, alignment and predictability for physician practices and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Members may send questions about this initiative to the AASM health policy team at coding@aasm.org.
