APMA partnered with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and other medical specialty societies to urge Congress to stop CMS from implementing an "efficiency adjustment" as finalized in the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The "efficiency adjustment" reduces the work Relative Value Units (RVUs) and intra-service time for all non-time-based codes by 2.5 percent in 2026. Additional reductions are expected every three years, indefinitely.
As outlined in the letter to Congress, the "efficiency adjustment" is based on a flawed assumption that physicians uniformly become more efficient over time. Recent data shows operative times have actually increased in most code categories.
Contact the APMA Advocacy Department with any questions or concerns.