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Congress·In Committee·18 days ago

House Bill Would Delay Medicare Physician Pay Cuts Until 2030

Also known as: Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act

Legislative Progress

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Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

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.
Healthcare

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 12, 2026House

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.

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

2030-01-01

Earliest date the efficiency adjustment could take effect

January 1, 2030 is the earliest the government could implement the payment cuts — and only if the study supports it and strict conditions are met, including consulting with affected doctors and checking that inflation isn't outpacing their pay raises.

Related News

5 articles
Radiology Business·12 days ago

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.

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Cardiovascular Business·10 days ago

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.

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HealthExec·8 months ago

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.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act

Bill NumberHR 7520
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred 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.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.