Physician finances at front and center for MGMA 2023 legislative agenda

Physicians’ finances are at the top of the 2023 legislative agenda for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) as the 118th Congress convenes and discusses policies that govern the nation.

MGMA has published its 2023 Advocacy Agenda with eight areas of focus, starting with ensuring medical practices have the financial resources to keep their doors open. The House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House all will have roles in aiding physicians this year.

“Following a year where medical groups were challenged by record inflation, staffing shortages, and across the board cost increases, MGMA’s 2023 advocacy priorities promote policies that support the financial solvency of medical practices,” Anders Gilberg, MGMA senior vice president for government affairs, said in a Jan. 18 statement.

Anders Gilberg, MGA
MGMA senior vice president - government affairs

On the agenda:

• Protecting the financial viability of medical group practices. Reimbursement rates should be updated for inflation and policies should support ancillary services such as imaging, testing, and physician-administered drugs.
• Reducing burdens of prior authorization. Gilberg said MGMA continues to support the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which has strong bipartisan support and passed in the House in 2022, but not in the Senate.
• Advancing value-based care, with options for alternative payment models that offer participants support, incentives, reimbursement, and flexibility.
• Improved quality reporting. The traditional Merit-based Incentive Payment System reporting should be maintained, with other quality reporting programs streamlined to improve clinical relevance while reducing reporting burdens.
• Promoting standardization and efficiency for health care transactions.
• Maintaining access to care through telehealth, especially long-term solutions for cost-effective, high-quality care with appropriate reimbursement.
• Expanding the physician workforce through the graduate medical education system.
• Implementing the federal No Surprises Act without interfering in medical groups’ contractual negotiations with health plans.

“Long-term, comprehensive solutions are needed to avoid harmful annual cuts to physician reimbursement,” Gilberg said in the statement.

President Joe Biden’s Administration “can play an important role and build on its progress to refine and finalize proposed rules to implement an electronic prior authorization program and increase plan transparency,” Giilberg said. “MGMA will continue to advocate for clear guidance from the Administration on surprise billing requirements and implementation of the law in a manner that is in line with congressional intent, not creating undue burden, nor interfering with a medical group’s ability to enter into reasonable and balanced contractual negotiations with health plans."