The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI) this week voiced its support of Congress for stopping a 3.4% cut to physicians’ pay that was included in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule for CY2024. Rates established under the physician fee schedule also applied to ancillary providers billing Medicare Part B for services nursing home residents receive.

Namely, the cuts would make it harder for people to access care, including physical therapy, APTQI said.

“We thank congressional leaders for recognizing the risks Medicare cuts inflict on patient access and the stability of our nation’s healthcare system,” Nikesh Patel, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement. “Though short of fully reversing the -3.4% cut, the partial fix will help stabilize the system at a time when costs and inflation are rising at a rapid clip. And, most importantly, it will help maintain access to the vital care that millions of seniors rely on to recover from serious injury and illness, prevent debilitating falls, manage pain, and regain strength and mobility.”

The 1.68% reimbursement increase for doctors will provide “some relief to cuts that threaten to disrupt the stability of the nation’s healthcare system,” the Alliance said. 

The schedule went into effect on January 1 this year. The raise was agreed on earlier this month.

The organization said that the formula used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to calculate the Physician Fee Schedule each year will likely result in another cut for the following calendar year. The trend has occurred for the last several years and necessitated congressional action. APTQI urges Congress to permanently address the situation by putting through long-term Medicare reform that links the physician schedule to a measure of inflation, which the organization said would stabilize the system.

“We look forward to working with Congress to advance long-term reform that stabilizes the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and ensures physical and occupational therapy practices are appropriately reimbursed,” Patel said. “Doing so will help therapy professionals and doctors from a wide spectrum of specialties to keep their doors open for patients, particularly in rural, underserved, and high-need areas.”’