2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule Delivers Critical Investment in Primary Care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

Contact:
Julie Hirschhorn
AAFP Public Relations
jhirschhorn@aafp.org

Statement attributable to: 
Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP 
President
American Academy of Family Physicians 

“The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) applauds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for finalizing new policies in the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule to better support Medicare beneficiaries’ access to high-quality, comprehensive primary care.

“However, despite these improvements, the finalized reduction to the Medicare conversion factor will result in untenable payment cuts for family physicians and reiterates the urgent need for long-term Medicare payment reform. Practices across specialties report challenges meeting growing patient needs as practice costs rise and annual, compounding Medicare payment cuts undermine practice viability and patient access.

“With this in mind, Congress must modernize Medicare’s outdated physician payment system by enacting annual inflationary adjustments and providing relief from budget neutrality requirements.

“The AAFP is pleased to see CMS take steps to bolster primary care. Specifically, family physicians deeply appreciate the full implementation of the G2211 Medicare add-on code, which will more appropriately value the complex, continuous services they provide—including managing chronic conditions and acute problems, modifying medication doses, administering vaccines, providing preventive screenings and counseling on healthy habits. Evidence clearly demonstrates that investing in continuous, person-centered primary care services reduces appointment wait times, mortality rates, hospitalizations and health care spending. Simply put, G2211 is an investment in better patient access and better patient health outcomes.

“Family physicians and other health care stakeholders have long advocated for this important step forward and, recently, joined together to urge Congress to support comprehensive primary care and the implementation of the G2211 code in 2024. 

“Many other health care payors and programs base their payment rates on the Medicare physician fee schedule, including TriCare, state Medicaid agencies and other insurers. By more accurately reflecting the way physicians serve their patients and communities, G2211 has the potential to spur investment, grow our workforce and improve access to longitudinal care across patient populations and communities.

“Additionally, we are pleased CMS finalized new coding and payment regulations for screenings and services to address unmet social needs and to implement more accurate payment for behavioral health integration.

“We look forward to working with Congress and CMS to champion primary care and protect patients’ access to the comprehensive, longitudinal, high-value primary care they need.” 

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