House Concurrent Resolution No. by Representative Freeman calls on the United States Congress to implement necessary reforms to the Medicare physician payment system to ensure that patients, particularly the elderly and disabled, maintain access to specialized medical care. The resolution highlights the critical issue that Medicare payments to physicians have not received automatic annual inflationary updates, leading to a significant decline in real payment rates since 2001. This situation has been exacerbated by recent cuts to Medicare and rising operational costs, which threaten the viability of many physician practices, especially those that are small, independent, or serve marginalized communities.

The resolution emphasizes the urgent need for Congress to provide an annual inflationary update to physician fees based on the Medicare Economic Index, thereby addressing the financial challenges faced by healthcare providers. By doing so, it aims to prevent further loss of access to care for Medicare patients and support the sustainability of physician practices across the country. The resolution also mandates that copies be sent to relevant state and federal officials to ensure awareness and action on this pressing issue.