The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Senate version of H.R.1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and medical societies have responded to its passing.
The bill includes a 2.5% increase to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for the 2026 calendar year. However, it does not include previously House-passed language tying Medicare updates to the Medicare Economic Index. It also contains Medicaid reductions that the American College of Radiology (ACR) called "concerning."
Cindy Moran, ACR Vice President of Government Relations and Health Policy, called the inclusion of an updated MPFS conversion factor in this bill "a step forward."
“We look forward to working with CMS, regulators, lawmakers and other stakeholders to arrive at a sensible long-term physician payment plan that supports practices’ ability to continue to provide care in their communities and enables greater patient access to lifesaving care," Moran said.
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), meanwhile, said the bill "paints a grim future" for America's physician practices through the Medicaid cuts.
"While MGMA supports meaningful healthcare reform, it is not in the best interest of patients or providers to rescind coverage for 11.8 million people without providing an alternative pathway to receiving care," the association stated. "Under the [bill], medical groups and hospitals will be left picking up the enormous tab.
And while the MGMA commended the inclusion of a one-year Medicare conversion factor increase for 2026, it also noted that physician practices are "still dealing with the detrimental consequences" of this year's 2.83% cut, and a future one-year adjustment "fails to provide long-term financial stability for practices."
