ACR Backs the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act Save

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today thanked lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives for introducing the bipartisan Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2025 (H.R. 8163), legislation designed to stabilize Medicare payments for physicians and protect patient access to care.

The legislation was introduced by Representative Greg Murphy, MD (NC-03) along with his colleagues Representatives John Joyce, MD (PA-13), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (IA-01), Robert Onder, MD (MO-03), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Kim Schrier, MD (WA-08), and Thomas Suozzi (NY-03).

“Rheumatologists care for a high volume of Medicare patients, and the current year-to-year uncertainty in reimbursement threatens practice viability and our ability to provide care,” said William F. Harvey, MD, MSc, FACR, president of the ACR. “By limiting uncertainty in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor and increasing the budget neutrality threshold, this bill addresses a critical challenge that has plagued physicians for decades and will help ensure patients can more easily access the care they need.”

The ACR has long expressed concern that Medicare reimbursement for physician services has failed to keep pace with inflation. Over the last 20 years, payments for physicians treating Medicare beneficiaries have dropped by 33%, while the cost of running a practice continues to increase. If passed, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act would:

• Raise the budget neutrality threshold from $20 million to $54.3 million, with periodic indexing to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI)
• Limit year-to-year variance in physician payments to no more than 2.5%, helping practices plan for the future
• Require the Department of Health and Human Services to refine budget neutrality adjustments using claims data for newly unbundled codes
• Update key inputs for practice expenses—including clinical wages, medical supplies and equipment—at least every five years

“These changes are critical for preserving patient access to care, particularly for older Americans living with arthritis and other chronic conditions. We thank the bill’s bipartisan sponsors for taking meaningful steps to support physicians and patients alike,” Dr. Harvey concluded.