Here’s how to check if you’re eligible for Medicare’s health professional shortage bonus in 2024

Medicare pays a 10% quarterly bonus to physicians or other health care providers who deliver covered services in regions designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). HPSAs are geographic areas that lack enough health care providers to meet the needs of the population. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designates HPSAs for both primary care and mental health.

To see the ZIP codes that are eligible for a Medicare physician bonus in 2024:

• Visit the “Physician Bonuses” page on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website,
• Review the Health Professional Shortage Area Physician Bonus Program (PDF) fact sheet,
• Use the Medicare Physician Bonus Payment Eligibility Analyzer.

For more information, see the CMS instructions to Medicare Administrative Contractors (PDF).

— Kent Moore, AAFP Senior Manager, Payment Strategies

Posted on Dec. 12, 2023, by FPM Editors