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Sen. Boozman introduces legislation to adjust the reimbursement rate for Medicare

U.S. Senator John Boozman in the Republican Party of Arkansas headquarters in 2016 during a campaign interview.
Jacob Kauffman
/
KUAR News
U.S Senator John Boozman is pushing for an adjustment to the Medicare reimbursement rate. He said the reimbursement rate has not kept up with inflation.

Earlier this month, U.S Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, helped introduce the Physician Fee Stabilization Act, which would adjust the reimbursement rate for Medicare.

The legislation would increase the budget neutrality threshold to $53 million with an increase every five years to keep pace with the Medicare Economic Index, according to a press release. In an interview with Arkies in the Beltway, Boozman pointed to changes in the economy for needing this adjustment.

“Medicare, by law, has a finite amount of money that it can pay out to providers. Like everything else, inflation doesn’t make it work anymore,” he said. “The world is totally different now then it was in the 1990s, as far as costs.”

According to Boozman’s office, the legislation has support from senators from both parties.

Ronak Patel is a reporter for Little Rock Public Radio.