WASHINGTON--CAP President Qihui “Jim” Zhai, MD, FCAP, released the following statement following the release of the final 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, specifically commenting on the new efficiency adjustment provision.
“Medicare’s cuts with the so-called efficiency adjustment come at the worst possible time,” Dr. Zhai said. “Physicians are already stretched thin by increasingly complex patients and the escalating costs of running a practice. These reductions to physician work ignore the realities of modern medicine, including rising patient complexity and evolving technologies that demand more from physicians, not less. A one-size-fits-all policy is unfairly targeting pathologists and other specialists. Congress must act now to stop its implementation before January 1, 2026.”