Press Releases

Last week, Representative Jack Bergman joined more than 80 members of Congress in sending a letter to House leadership urging action and offering any assistance necessary to prevent severe cuts to Medicare reimbursement for providers at the start of next year. These cuts would threaten the financial solvency of thousands of medical practices and make it impossible for many seniors to receive timely, quality care, especially in rural and remote parts of the country.

Rep. Bergman stated, “It is unacceptable for Congress to force the burden of its own failures and inaction onto medical providers and patients. These sudden cuts to Medicare reimbursement will do irreparable harm to the hospitals, health clinics, doctor’s offices, and other providers in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, especially as they continue to face health workforce shortages, inflation, and lingering effects of the pandemic. We must act now to prevent these cuts and protect access to health care for our seniors.”

The letter says, in part: “With an ongoing health care workforce shortage, American communities cannot afford to experience practice closures. Uncertain payment rates will only lead to physicians closing their doors and enhance the existing barriers to care these patients already face, exacerbating poorer quality of life for seniors.”

Medicare reimbursement cuts currently set to come into effect on January 1^st include a 4.5% across-the-board cut for doctors due to changes to the Physician Fee Schedule, as well as an additional 4% cut for all providers as a result of PAYGO rules following the budget reconciliation spending bill earlier this year.

You can read the letter in its entirety here.