House Republican leadership is open to including language in a stopgap government funding bill that would prevent cuts in pay for doctors treating patients under Medicare, a key lawmaker said on Monday.
It comes as GOP leaders have insisted they plan to pursue a “clean” continuing resolution free of policy riders beyond those on a list of so-called “anomalies,” of which this specific language is not a part.
Yet Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus, said in an interview he has spoken to his leadership about including the policy fix in a bill to keep the government open after March 14 — and leadership isn’t shutting doors to the request.
“It’s a pretty firm line in the sand for me,” Murphy said of its inclusion. “I’m tired of hospitals and insurance companies getting plussed up and the people who actually deliver the care get a 30 percent cut in the last 20 years.”
The policy priority was set to be included in the short term spending package Congress passed at the end of last year but fell out at the last minute after then-President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk complained the funding measure was overly broad. It has wide bipartisan support.
But Speaker Mike Johnson could run into trouble if he opens the door to one policy hitching a ride on a “clean” stopgap spending bill, or a continuing resolution, as other members might demand their priorities get added on, too. Johnson’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, annually updates Medicare payments for doctors based on a mandated formula that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say doesn’t account for rising costs.
Murphy said in December that he got assurances from the Trump administration that it would support a patch for doctor pay in Medicare in the coming months after the incoming president insisted leadership drop it from the December funding bill. This vehicle would be a good opportunity for honoring that promise, Murphy said.
Still, averting the pay cuts would cost a significant amount of money, meaning there may need to be offsets to appease fiscal hawks who don’t want to add more dollars to the deficit. Murphy said he and fellow co-chair Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.) are holding an “information session” on the issue on Wednesday to build support for the policy, saying there are “plenty of pay-fors” — including cracking down on Medicare Advantage insurers and reform to pharmacy benefit managers’ business practices.
It’s also not clear whether the fix to doctors’ pay under Medicare remains ripe for inclusion if lawmakers are able to reach a larger, longer-term deal to fund the government. The top Republican appropriators in each chamber, Rep. Tom Cole and Sen. Susan Collins, insist they are still working on more permanent funding solution
