“Patients First Act” Would Overhaul Medicare Physician Reimbursement
Published: 9/1/2026
On July 15, 2026, Reps. Kim Schrier (D-WA), John Joyce (R-PA), and Greg Murphy (R-NC), the chairs of the Democratic and Republican Doctors Caucuses, introduced the bipartisan Patients First Act (H.R. 9693), comprehensive legislation that would reform the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and address ongoing concerns regarding Medicare physician reimbursement. Among other provisions, the bill would tie annual physician payment updates to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI), subject to certain guardrails; establish a five-year primary care hybrid payment pilot program that would provide participating independent primary care physicians with per-member, per-month payments in addition to fee-for-service payments; and replace the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) with the Patient Outcome Improvement National Tabulation System (POINTS), which would use physician and clinician developed quality measures intended to reduce administrative burden. The legislation would also increase the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule budget neutrality threshold from $20 million to approximately $54.3 million, and make other changes intended to promote independent physician practices and reduce payment volatility.
The proposed legislation comes as physician practices continue to face pressure from rising costs and Medicare payment updates that have not kept pace with inflation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, released one day before the bill was introduced, proposes conversion factor reductions of approximately 1.2% for physicians participating in qualifying alternative payment models and 1.7% for other physicians. The legislation has received support from numerous physician and specialty organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Radiology.
Caroline J. Patterson
Member
Healthcare Law
973-364-5233 · 973-618-5547 Fax
cpatterson@bracheichler.com
Jonathan J. Walzman
Member
Healthcare Law, Corporate Transactions & Financial Services
973.403.3120 · 973.618.5561 Fax
jwalzman@bracheichler.com
Related Practices: Healthcare Law
Related Attorney: Caroline J. Patterson, Jonathan J. Walzman
Related Industry: Healthcare
