{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-panetta-helps-author-and-introduce-bipartisan-bill-stop-reductions", "Rep. Panetta Helps Author and Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Reductions to Medicare Physician Reimbursements", "2023-12-19", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Jimmy Panetta", "P000613", "panetta.house.gov", "panetta", "https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Monterey, CA \u2013 United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) helped author and introduce the bipartisan Preserving Seniors\u2019 Access to Physicians Act to protect patients from planned harmful reductions to Medicare physician payments. Rep. Panetta worked on the bill with Reps. Gregory Murphy, M.D. (NC-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08), and Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26)\n\nPhysicians around the country and in California\u2019s 19th Congressional District are increasingly finding it difficult to continue to operate and care for Medicare patients. For more than two decades, Medicare physician reimbursement has failed to keep pace with inflation. In 2023 alone, providers saw a projected 4.6 percent increase in practice cost expenses. A rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could exacerbate these issues, by decreasing reimbursement for physician services by 3.4 percent in 2024. The bipartisan Preserving Seniors\u2019 Access to Physicians Act would stop this cut by offsetting its cost.\n\n\u201cIf the rule by CMS is implemented, physician reimbursement from Medicare would continue to shrink leading to fewer physicians and less access to healthcare for seniors,\u201d said Rep. Panetta. \u201cOur bipartisan bill would lessen the effects of that rule by creating an offset, which could help keep providers in our community. This bill is one way in which Congress can help bolster Medicare services and help our doctors get reimbursed and our seniors get access to healthcare.\u201d\n\nMore than 6.5 million Californians are enrolled in Medicare and many of these seniors can no longer find a physician who is accepting new Medicare patients. According to the California Medical Association, 76 percent of California physicians reported that Medicare no longer covers their costs to provide care.\n\n\u201cAs of today, patients and physicians have a clear-eyed view on how to protect Medicare from injurious cuts. A bipartisan group of House members\u2014 led by Reps. Greg Murphy, M.D, Danny Davis, Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M., Jimmy Panetta, Larry Bucshon, M.D., and Michael Burgess, M.D. \u2014introduced HR 6683 that would eliminate the pending 3.37 percent cuts to Medicare payments,\u201d said American Medical Association President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. \u201cThese cuts threaten health care access for seniors as well as the viability of physician practices, including many in rural and underserved areas. Canceling the cut is a good new year's resolution.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe must end these Medicare payment cuts once and for all and enact long-term Medicare payment reform to protect our patients and fulfill the promise of Medicare to the nation\u2019s seniors,\u201d said California Medical Association President Tanya Spirtos, M.D. \u201cIf these cuts take effect, more physicians will be forced to retire early, or limit the number of Medicare patients they can accept \u2013 creating longer wait times for patients to get the care they need. Physicians are the backbone of the Medicare program, and we will continue to fight to ensure that our patients have access to high-quality physician care. Reform is long overdue.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-panetta-helps-author-and-introduce-bipartisan-bill-stop-reductions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.347915269434452, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}