On June 16, Christina Downey, MD, chair of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee, and ACR staff met with the Trump administration’s Office of Management & Budget (OMB) to discuss the College’s priorities for the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS).
The proposed rule for 2026 is currently under review by the OMB, which is usually the last step prior to releasing publicly for stakeholder review and comment. Issues discussed included increasing Medicare reimbursement for physicians, telemedicine permanence, removing G2211 restrictions, adequate reimbursement for therapies and more flexibility for chemotherapy administration codes.
The ACR uses meetings with the administration to communicate our priorities, to gain a better understanding of the administration’s healthcare agenda and to see where there may be some alignment. The College hopes that fostering a relationship with the White House will continue the synergy we have with them on physician reimbursement and telemedicine and allow us to constructively convey our concerns on issues where there is less synergy.
The ACR expects the proposed Medicare PFS will be published sometime within the next few weeks. We will update membership on the rule’s contents when it is published and respond to it according to the priorities of membership. The ACR is steadfastly committed to ensuring that the concerns facing rheumatologists are adequately and constructively heard by the Trump administration.
For further information about the ACR’s regulatory advocacy efforts, email the ACR’s advocacy team at [email protected]. ACR/ARP members can also schedule a meeting with the ACR’s advocacy team to discuss issues and challenges you are facing.