The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released their 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule and Quality Payment Program final rule. After an initial review, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) welcomes the critical investment in primary care while still recognizing a need for implementation of the G2211 code as soon as possible.
The AAFP released the following statement attributable to Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP, president of the AAFP on November 2:
The AAFP applauds CMS for finalizing new policies in the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule to better support Medicare beneficiaries’ access to high-quality, comprehensive primary care.
However, despite these improvements, the finalized reduction to the Medicare conversion factor will result in untenable payment cuts for family physicians and reiterates the urgent need for long-term Medicare payment reform. Practices across specialties report challenges meeting growing patient needs as practice costs rise and annual, compounding Medicare payment cuts undermine practice viability and patient access.
With this in mind, Congress must modernize Medicare’s outdated physician payment system by enacting annual inflationary adjustments and providing relief from budget neutrality requirements.
The AAFP is pleased to see CMS take steps to bolster primary care. Specifically, family physicians deeply appreciate the full implementation of the G2211 Medicare add-on code, which will more appropriately value the complex, continuous services they provide—including managing chronic conditions and acute problems, modifying medication doses, administering vaccines, providing preventive screenings and counseling on healthy habits. Evidence clearly demonstrates that investing in continuous, person-centered primary care services reduces appointment wait times, mortality rates, hospitalizations and health care spending. Simply put, G2211 is an investment in better patient access and better patient health outcomes.
Family physicians and other healthcare stakeholders have long advocated for this important step forward and, recently, joined together to urge Congress to support comprehensive primary care and the implementation of the G2211 code in 2024.
Many other healthcare payors and programs base their payment rates on the Medicare physician fee schedule, including TriCare, state Medicaid agencies, and other insurers. By more accurately reflecting the way physicians serve their patients and communities, G2211 has the potential to spur investment, grow our workforce and improve access to longitudinal care across patient populations and communities.
Additionally, the AAFP is pleased that CMS finalized new coding and payment regulations for screenings and services to address unmet social needs and to implement more accurate payment for behavioral health integration.
The AAFP looks forward to working with Congress and CMS to champion primary care and protect patients’ access to the comprehensive, longitudinal, high-value primary care they need.
For members interested in adding their voice to AAFP’s advocacy efforts, Speak Out to your Members of Congress urging them to allow the G2211 code to go into effect later this year.
