In the report, MedPAC surveyed two groups—Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older, and privately insured individuals ages 50 to 64—about their access to care.
Here are five things to know:
1. MedPAC implored Congress to increase 2017 payment rates for physicians and other health professionals as the Affordable Care Act requires.
2. In the report, MedPAC voices concern over the fee schedule undervaluing primary care and overvaluing specialty care, referring to the fee schedule as “an ill-suited payment mechanism for primary care.”
3. The report suggests better primary care management of risk factors linked to kidney disease may help prevent the disease’s onset.
4. Only 7 percent of Medicare respondents had issues finding a new primary care physician, and 95 percent reported having a consistent source of primary care.
5. Of those surveyed, 55 percent of Medicare respondents reporting having the same source of primary care for five years or longer.
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IRS keeps uninsured families in the dark — 5 things to know
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Telemedicine could help insurance companies meet network adequacy standards — 5 observations
