MedPAC Report to Congress Recommends Physician Payment Update

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) released a detailed summary of the radiology-relevant topics included in the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) March Report to Congress. In its report, MedPAC outlines recommendations and provides updates on national trends in spending, assessments of payment adequacy and updating payments in fee-for-service Medicare, and the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.

The commission made the following recommendations within the report for physician services’ payments. Congress should:

• For calendar year 2026, replace the current-law updates to Medicare payment rates for physician and other health professional services with a single update equal to the projected increase in the Medicare Economic Index minus 1 percentage point; and
• Enact the commission’s March 2023 recommendation to establish safety-net add-on payments under the physician fee schedule for services delivered to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

MedPAC is a nonpartisan, independent legislative branch commission created to advise Congress about Medicare-related issues.

For more information or if you have questions, contact Christina Berry, ACR Team Lead, Economic Policy, or Kimberly Greck, ACR Senior Economic Policy Analyst.