May 22, 2026
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on May 20 examining the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and MACRA, the 2015 law meant to end the cycle of annual congressional "doc fixes." Members of both parties agreed that the current system is broken and needs to be changed.
Members and witnesses noted that payment instability has persisted despite MACRA's intentions, annual updates haven't kept pace with inflation, and administrative burdens continue to strain practices, particularly smaller ones. Witnesses agreed that reform should include annual physician payment updates based on inflation and changes to Medicare’s budget-neutrality requirements.
Among those testifying was Steven Furr, MD, FAAFP, CMD, FPALTC, a family medicine physician, longtime PALTmed member, and past president of the AAFP, who spoke based on his experience as co-founder of Family Medical Clinic of Jackson, AL, and medical director of a local nursing home. Also testifying were representatives from the American College of Physicians, American College of Radiology, HeartPlace, and Aledade.
A full playback of the hearing is available here.
You can add your voice to this important discussion by calling or writing to your members of Congress using PALTmed’s grassroots tools: Tell Congress to Stabilize Medicare Payments.