FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 18, 2024
Contact:
Julie Hirschhorn
AAFP Public Relations
jhirschhorn@aafp.org
Statement attributable to:
Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
“The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is encouraged that the legislative package includes several health care provisions that will improve patient outcomes, bolster the family physician workforce, provide partial relief from Medicare payment cuts and increase access to primary care.
“In particular, we are pleased to see several key provisions:
Reauthorization of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program: The five-year reauthorization is the longest in the program’s history and will provide greater certainty for family medicine residents. This, along with a two-year reauthorization of the National Health Service Corps and increased funding for community health centers, will help attract and retain physicians in rural and medically underserved communities.
Medicare telehealth flexibilities: Telehealth is a crucial lifeline that improves patients’ access to continuous care by removing transportation and other barriers that prevent them from seeing their physician. We are pleased Congress extended Medicare telehealth flexibilities through the end of 2026—this important connection and point of access must be preserved.
SUPPORT Act: Family physicians play a critical role in screening and treating patients for opioid use disorder. Congress’s decision to reauthorize the SUPPORT Act ensures that trained family physicians can continue to provide necessary care to patients, including substance use disorder treatment.
Advanced Payment Model Incentive Expansion: We applaud Congress for extending the advanced alternative payment model incentive payment to help accelerate the transition to value-based care, which has been shown to improve patient outcomes and lower spending.
“One area where additional investment is still needed is Medicare physician payment. Family physicians appreciate that lawmakers provided partial relief from Medicare physician payment cuts in 2025. However, short-term patches limit meaningful investment in the primary care workforce. We continue to advocate alongside the entire physician community in support of long-term reforms, including an annual inflationary update to Medicare physician payment based upon the Medicare Economic Index.
“The AAFP urges Congress to pass this legislation as a concrete step forward to create a better health care system. We look forward to working with the 119th Congress to advance meaningful, longer-term policies to ensure everyone has access to affordable, comprehensive primary care.”
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About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 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.