The Partnership to Empower Physician-Led Care (PEPC) applauds Congress for passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. As an organization that focuses on independent physicians and practices, we are acutely aware of the impact of rising costs on small businesses. Nationwide, independent practices and physicians consistently deliver high-quality health care to their patients, oftentimes serving as a pillar in their communities. They do this while navigating the everyday challenges of operating a small business, which unfortunately includes figuring out how to absorb rising overhead costs while fee-for-service payments from the government and private insurance companies stay flat or even decrease.
Through seminal legislation like the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, Congress has taken steps to move our health care system toward new payment and delivery models that pay providers based on the value they provide to their patients. Current financial climate in this country, combined with rapid health care provider consolidation over the past few years, require Congress and the Administration to do more to speed up adoption of new payment models among independent physicians and practices. This includes policies that level the playing field across practice settings and that make value-based care models available and attainable for independent practices. We look forward to working with policymakers to advance these key priorities, and improve the financial outlook for independent practices and physicians.