ACP supports bipartisan budget agreement

The American College of Physicians issued a statement of support for the bipartisan budget agreement that has been proposed, saying that it "makes positive improvements in health care," according to a press release.

"The ACP is pleased that today's proposed bipartisan budget agreement will provide 2 years of relief from existing ‘sequestration’-level spending caps that could result in cuts to programs that are vital to the nation’s health care, including the NIH, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Primary Care Training Programs authorized by Section 747 of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act," Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, president of the ACP, said. "Moreover, it could prevent a potentially disastrous government shutdown and would prevent default on our national debt."

The ACP also supports other aspects of the agreement, including providing relief to Medicare enrollees, requiring generic drug manufacturers to pay an additional rebate to Medicaid if the drug price increases faster than inflation and ensuring new hospital acquisition of private physician practices and care services from a community-based setting receive equal Medicare payments.

"This policy is a positive step forward in addressing inappropriate and wasteful payment disparities for identical clinical services provided in different health care settings," Riley detailed. "We believe that imposing higher costs on Medicare, and increased out-of-pocket costs to patients enrolled in Medicare, is inappropriate when the care that is provided is not dependent on the hospital facility and its associated technologies. We also believe that such facility fees should not be used as a mechanism for hospitals to recoup/stabilize funding or as a means of ensuring access to care."

Upgraded health insurance coverage, delivery system reforms and reinforced workforce policies can better secure hospital funding and access to care, Riley said.

The ACP expressed concerns about some parts of the budget, but would like to see it passed in Congress regardless.

"While we are concerned that the agreement again extends the arbitrary Medicare 2% mandatory sequestration cut in payments to physicians for another year through 2025, we strongly support the overall agreement and urge Congress to pass it without delay," Riley said.