Lawmakers from both parties are showing new interest in permanently changing how Medicare pays doctors rather than passing another one-year fix, Axios reported on Wednesday. The shift follows a September 15 House hearing where members aired frustration with the yearly cycle of scheduled cuts and last-minute patches.
An overhaul is possible but far from certain. Congress has little time left before the midterm elections, and a permanent fix could cost billions of dollars that lawmakers would need to offset. Axios reported that Congress will most likely pass another short-term patch at year's end to cancel a proposed payment cut scheduled for January 1.
