Dr. Caleb Masterson
Physician · Patient Advocacy
Take action before September 14, 2026

Medicare's proposed physician cut won't save you money. It will cost you more.

Payment cuts close private practices and push care into hospital-owned clinics, where the same visit costs more. Enter your ZIP — your letter to Congress takes two minutes.

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What's happening

How a "physician cut" ends up on your bill

CMS's proposed 2027 Physician Fee Schedule (CMS‑1848‑P, July 14, 2026) cuts physician payment 1.68% while practice costs rise 2.5%[1] — on top of a 33% inflation-adjusted decline since 2001.[3] Here's how that lands on your bill:

1. Cuts close private practices. Only 42% of physicians remain in private practice (60% in 2012); 82% now work for hospitals or corporate entities.[5] Of those who sold, 71% cited the need for higher payment rates.[6]

2. Hospital-owned care costs more. Medicare pays 194% more for the same echocardiogram and 129–211% more for the same chemotherapy infusion at a hospital outpatient clinic[7] — plus "facility fees" of $355 to $503 on routine visits.[8]

3. You pay the difference. Your 20% coinsurance applies to the bigger bill and the facility fee — $1.5 billion a year in extra beneficiary cost sharing, per MedPAC.[7]

−1.68%

Proposed 2027 Medicare physician payment cut — while practice costs rise 2.5%[1]

82%

Of U.S. physicians now work for hospitals or corporate entities — private practice is disappearing[5]

+194%

What Medicare pays extra for the same echocardiogram at a hospital outpatient clinic vs. a doctor's office[7]

Sept 14

Deadline for public comments on the proposed rule[1]

Patients with chronic conditions — frequent visits, often fixed incomes — feel it fastest.

The fix is on the table. Bipartisan bills — the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act (H.R. 8163, passed Ways & Means 44–0) and the Patients First Act — would tie payment to actual practice costs.[4] Keeping care in lower-cost settings would save patients over $90 billion in premiums and cost sharing over a decade.[9] Congress needs to hear from you.

Take action

Find your members of Congress and send your letter

Enter your ZIP to see your members of Congress.
Add your name and city — your letter is written for you.
Tap Send via Democracy.io: paste your letter, add your address, and it goes to all three at once.
Looking up your representatives…
What happens next: your letter is copied and Democracy.io (a free, non-profit tool) opens in a new tab. Enter your address, paste the letter, send — one form, all three offices.
Prefer to contact each office individually? (or call — calls carry the most weight)
One more two-minute action: you can also tell CMS directly what you think of the proposed rule. Public comments are accepted until September 14, 2026.

Comment on the rule at Regulations.gov ↗
Why I'm asking

A note from Dr. Masterson

I'm a physician. For many of my patients, a surprise facility fee is the difference between filling a prescription and skipping it. Every practice that disappears into a hospital system means patients paying more for the same visit. This isn't about physician income — it's about keeping affordable, independent care an option. Thank you for taking two minutes to speak up.