MedPAC’s Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, released each March, is nonbinding but serves as a guide for lawmakers as they consider annual rate adjustments for payments to each provider sector.
The report also recommends that Congress increase payments to hospitals by the projected growth rate of the hospital market basket index, while implementing a quality incentive payment program. For physicians, MedPAC recommends Congress update payments by 1 percent in 2011. The advisory commission also recommends establishing a budget-neutral payment adjustment for primary care services.
MedPAC also recommends in its report reducing payments to Medicare Advantage insurance plans to bring them in line with payments for fee-for-service plans.
View the MedPAC fact sheet (pdf).
