Congress mulls linking Medicare doctor pay to medical inflation under Patients First Act

Congress is debating a major overhaul of Medicare physician payments, proposing to tie rates to a medical inflation index.

The plan, part of the Patients First Act, would give doctors automatic annual pay increases similar to those already given to hospitals, moving away from the current system that ties payments to service volume.

If enacted, the change would reduce Medicare's ability to influence physician service levels and could lessen emphasis on value-based care, according to the article.