AAPI Calls on Physicians to Oppose Proposed Medicare Payment Change
BOSTON–The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is urging physicians nationwide to oppose a proposed change to Medicare reimbursement that the organization says could significantly reduce payments for certain services provided during the same patient visit.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in its proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, has proposed paying 100% of the highest-valued service when an office or outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) visit is provided on the same day as another service, while reimbursing additional qualifying services at 50%. The proposal would apply to procedures with 0-, 10- or 90-day global periods.
AAPI President Dr. Meher Medavaram called the proposal a major concern for physicians and patients.
“A 50% across-the-board cut is not a correction — it is a presumption of duplication applied to every physician, in every specialty, without evidence,” Medavaram said.
CMS has said the proposed change is intended to address potential duplication in payment when an E/M service and a procedure are performed on the same day. AAPI argues, however, that the policy could fail to account for the way care is actually delivered in many specialties.
The organization says specialties such as dermatology, otolaryngology, podiatry, colorectal surgery and hand surgery could be particularly affected because physicians frequently evaluate and treat patients during the same appointment.
AAPI also warns that lower reimbursement could put additional pressure on independent and smaller practices already facing rising staffing, technology and operating costs.
The organization is particularly concerned about the potential impact on access to care in rural and underserved communities.
“Our members practice in every specialty and nearly every state — in academic centers, in solo offices, and in rural communities where we are often the only specialist within an hour’s drive,” said Dr. Krishan Kumar, AAPI president-elect. “Fair physician payment is not a physician issue. It is a patient access issue.”
Dr. Vijaya Maurya, chair of the AAPI Board of Trustees, similarly emphasized the potential consequences for communities with limited access to specialists.
“In these communities, same-day care is not a convenience — it is a lifeline,” Maurya said.
AAPI is calling on CMS to withdraw the proposed provision and consider payment changes based on clinical and economic data. The organization is also encouraging physicians to submit individual comments describing how the proposal could affect their practices and patients.
The public comment period on the proposed 2027 Physician Fee Schedule closes September 14, 2026. CMS will review comments before issuing its final rule.
“Physicians should not be penalized for doing in one visit what would otherwise take two,” Medavaram said.
The debate over the proposal comes as physicians and healthcare organizations continue to examine the financial pressures facing medical practices and their potential implications for patient access.
