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Medicare Physician Payment Reform 

Status of the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act

Medicare physician payment remains one of the most pressing policy issues facing the electrophysiology (EP) community. Years of payment instability combined with rising practice costs and increasing demand for cardiovascular care have placed growing pressure on physician practices across the country. Congress is currently considering legislation designed to address this challenge: the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025.

 

The bill represents one of the most significant bipartisan efforts in recent years to stabilize physician payment under Medicare and protect patient access to specialty care.

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What the Legislation Would Do

The Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 (H.R. 879 / S.1640) was introduced in the House in January 2025 by Representatives Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), with bipartisan support from lawmakers in both parties. The Senate companion bill (S.1640) was introduced in May 2025 by Sen. Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS). 

 

The legislation is designed to address the ongoing instability in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). On January 1, 2025, physicians faced a 2.8–2.83% payment reduction under the fee schedule conversion factor. The bill would:

 

  • Reverse the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut, which took effect January 1. 

  • Increase the conversion factor for the remainder of 2025, stabilizing reimbursement levels and mitigating the impact of recent payment reductions.

  • The House bill would provide a 2% payment increase to help stabilize physician practices and mitigate the impact of recent cuts. The Senate version of the bill would provide an 8.5% payment increase, reflecting the cumulative impact of recent payment cuts and rising practice costs. Because the Senate proposal more fully addresses the gap between Medicare reimbursement and the cost of providing care, many physician organizations (including HRA) have expressed strong interest in the Senate approach.

  • Increase the conversion factor for the remainder of the year

 

Taken together, the legislation is intended to protect patient access to care while giving physician practices a more predictable payment environment.

 

Why This Matters to Electrophysiology

For electrophysiologists, payment instability under Medicare has particularly significant consequences. EP practices operate in a highly specialized environment that requires:

  • Significant investment in technology and infrastructure

  • Highly trained staff and clinical teams

  • Long procedure times and complex care coordination

  • Growing patient demand driven by an aging population

 

At the same time, physician practices have experienced years of flat or declining Medicare reimbursement while practice costs continue to rise. Many physician organizations argue that this trend threatens the sustainability of specialty practices and could limit access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.

 

For EP specifically, payment instability can affect the viability of:

  • Arrhythmia management programs

  • Catheter ablation programs

  • Device management and remote monitoring services

  • Advanced electrophysiology labs and staffing

 

Because Medicare patients represent a large share of the cardiovascular population, instability in physician reimbursement has direct implications for access to heart rhythm care.

 

Legislative Momentum and Advocacy

Since its introduction, the legislation has gained bipartisan attention from lawmakers concerned about the impact of physician payment cuts on patient access. The bill was introduced with an initial bipartisan group of physician-legislators and healthcare-focused lawmakers, and additional cosponsors continue to join the legislation as advocacy organizations across medicine mobilize support. National medical organizations, including specialty societies and physician groups, have been urging Congress to advance the bill as part of broader Medicare payment reform efforts. The legislation has also been discussed in congressional policy conversations about the long-term structure of physician payment, including proposals to link Medicare updates more closely to inflation.

 

What Comes Next

As of now, the legislation remains under consideration in the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over Medicare policy, including the House Energy and Commerce Committee and House Ways and Means Committee. The bill’s prospects may depend on whether Congress chooses to address physician payment through standalone legislation or as part of a broader health policy package later in the legislative cycle (though with Congress’s truncated election year schedule, that’s becoming less likely). HRA will continue to strongly push for passage of the bill before the end of the year.

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