Frier Levitt co-founding partner Daniel Frier is featured in a Part B News article, “Budget Bill Would Peg Physician Pay to MEI; Might Mean Raise in 2026.” The article discusses a new budget bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22, which includes a notable provision that could alter the trajectory of Medicare physician reimbursement.
Now under Senate consideration, Section 44304 of the bill proposes changes to how Medicare calculates the physician fee schedule conversion factor (CF), tying it more closely to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) starting in 2026. This shift could potentially offer modest reimbursement increases over time. If section 44304 of the budget bill is enacted, annual Medicare payment growth is projected to reach 4.3% by 2035, compared to current projections that top out at 2.5%.
Daniel, who has been following the bill, notes it “difficult to say whether the MEI methodology will ultimately be adopted,” but anticipates “there will be some increase in the Medicare physician fee schedule.” He also adds that the change would mainly mean keeping pace with inflation, as that is a main component in the MEI.
Read the article HERE.
Read on PartBNews.com.