AAFP President Steven Furr, M.D., FAAFP, delivered testimony April 11 to a Senate Finance Committee hearing titled “Bolstering Chronic Care Through Medicare Physician Payment.” At the committee’s invitation, Dr. Furr offered written and oral comments detailing  

• the fact that fee-for-service payment, including the Medicare physician fee schedule, has underinvested in primary care; 
• the importance of supporting the transition of primary care practices into alternative payment models with prospective, sustainable revenue streams; and 
• the crucial need for patients, including those with chronic conditions, to have access to the comprehensive, continuous care that family physicians and other primary care physicians provide. 

The Academy and Dr. Furr urged lawmakers to pass policies that would 

• more appropriately value the work of primary care within Medicare physician fee schedule, which is the framework for many value-based payment arrangements; 
• reform budget neutrality requirements that unnecessarily pit physician specialties against one another while undermining investment in total patient care; and 
• alleviate financial barriers that dissuade patients’ utilization of chronic care management and other primary care services by waiving cost sharing responsibilities.