Leading Physician Groups: Patients First Act Addresses Longstanding Payment Challenges
For immediate release: July 20, 2026
The statement below is issued by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association and American Psychiatric Association, who represent over 500,000 physicians:
Medicare’s outdated payment system must change. Without a more reliable payment system, physician practices struggle to invest in the staff, technology and resources needed to provide high-quality care for millions of patients.
Our organizations applaud the introduction of the Patients First Act, which would modernize how Medicare pays physicians, strengthen investments in primary care and help make care more affordable for patients and families. The legislation includes several long-overdue reforms our organizations have championed, including a five-year pilot for predictable primary care payments, a permanent inflation-based update tied to the Medicare Economic Index and necessary changes to Medicare’s budget neutrality requirements.
These changes matter beyond Medicare. Because Medicare often sets the benchmark for other payers, including Medicaid, improving physician payment can help strengthen access to care across the health system. That is especially important for children and pregnant patients, who rely heavily on Medicaid for their health coverage. By supporting a more stable physician workforce, this legislation will help ensure patients across the lifespan can access timely, high-quality care in their communities.
We thank representatives Joyce, Schrier and Murphy for their leadership, and urge Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation so patients in every community can get the care they need.
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About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 124,500 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. aap.org
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 162,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.
About the American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 200,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; and serves as the primary certifying body for DOs. To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit www.osteopathic.org.
About the American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 40,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.