Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act
House Bill Would Delay Medicare Physician Pay Cuts Until 2030
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill stops a planned change to how Medicare pays doctors. A rule set to start soon would have lowered payments for many medical services by using a new 'efficiency adjustment.' This bill pushes that change back until at least January 1, 2030.
- Doctors and medical practices are most affected. Without this bill, they would see lower payments from the government for the care they provide. By delaying the cut, the bill aims to keep medical practices stable and ensure they can continue seeing Medicare patients.
- The bill requires the government to study whether these pay cuts are actually necessary. It asks for a report within two years to see if the math behind the 'efficiency' change makes sense, especially for medical services that have not been reviewed in over a decade.
- If the government decides to go ahead with the cuts in 2030, they must follow strict rules. They have to talk to doctor groups first, they cannot cut pay for services that were recently reviewed, and they cannot make the cuts if inflation is higher than the yearly pay raises doctors receive.
- The bill also gives doctors a slightly larger pay raise in 2026 than currently planned. It increases the base dollar amount used to calculate Medicare payments to help medical offices keep up with rising costs.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Many physician practices, especially smaller and independent ones, operate as small businesses. The planned efficiency adjustment would have cut reimbursements for services that haven't been revalued in over a decade, disproportionately hitting certain specialties. Delaying the cut until 2030 and slightly boosting the 2026 conversion factor gives these practices more financial stability and time to plan. The bill also requires the government to consult with affected specialties before any future implementation.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
5 articles
Congressmen introduce bill to delay controversial physician pay 'efficiency' adjustment
Bipartisan House members introduced the Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act (H.R. 7520) to postpone a 2.5% Medicare pay cut until 2030. The bill responds to concerns that the 'efficiency' metric, based on assumptions about AI and technology, fails to reflect the reality of rising practice costs.
Cardiologist says new legislation would delay flawed payment cuts, preserve access to care
The Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act aims to halt a 2.5% reduction in work RVUs included in the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Dr. Friederike Keating noted the adjustment assumes physicians become more efficient over time, a premise doctors argue is not supported by clinical data.
CMS proposes rule aligning Medicare physician payment with 'Big Beautiful Bill,' MACRA
CMS proposed a first-of-its-kind 'efficiency adjustment' to work RVUs, cutting them by 2.5% to account for practice efficiencies. This policy, part of the 2026 draft regulation, has sparked significant pushback from physician groups who argue it dampens necessary reimbursement.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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