Physician Groups Push Back Against New Medicare Payment Policies

The Trump administration’s decision to begin paying doctors working at hospitals less for overhead costs than in office-based settings will put added financial pressure on private practice physicians, provider trade groups say.

The American Medical Association and the Medical Group Management Association, which represents more than 15,000 group practices, sharply criticized the policy, which was released Oct. 31 as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ annual Medicare Physicians Fee Schedule final rule (RIN 0938-AV50).

The 2,375-page rule is a sweeping annual policy update focused on how doctors are reimbursed by Medicare. The rule will go ...