Washington, D.C. – Following the reintroduction of his Prevent Racism in Medicare Act (PRIMA) to prohibit healthcare providers from being forced to adhere to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) racially discriminatory policies, Representative Gary Palmer (AL-06) released the following statement: “All Americans should be treated the same by their doctors, regardless of race, and the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements should not be impacted one way or the other,” said Rep. Palmer. “This rule by HHS incentivizes Critical Race Theory if your doctor wants to be reimbursed at a higher rate. Dividing Americans along racial lines in the doctor’s office will continuing eroding confidence in our institutions. My bill will prevent this destructive ideology from being implemented and ensure no patient is discriminated against.” The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07), and Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-5). Background: The CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule includes a provision that would provide a financial incentive for doctors to create and implement an anti-racism plan. The rule specifies that the plans should “include a clinic-wide review of existing tools and policies, such as value statements or clinical practice guidelines, to ensure that they include and are aligned with a commitment to anti-racism”. The provision will update Medicare’s Merit-Based Incentive Payment System which was intended to reward doctors for providing high-quality care. Instead, the Biden Administration is using it as an opportunity to provide bonus payments to doctors that share their commitment to “anti-racism”. Instead of working towards a solution to Medicare’s looming insolvency or improving the care our nation’s seniors receive, the Biden Administrations is using this rulemaking to further divide American’s along racial lines. The Prevent Racism in Medicare Act (PRIMA) would prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from rewarding providers for these activities. Read the full text here. For more in-depth information and a link to the rule, please see this one pager from the office of Rep. Palmer. Outside Groups in Support of PRIMA: "Rep. Palmer is doing American healthcare a profound favor. This bill fights the Biden administration's dangerous effort to force divisive and discriminatory ideas into the doctor-patient relationship. The White House should be looking for ways to make healthcare more accessible for all, not pushing doctors to prioritize some patients over others for ideology. Identity politics has no place in medicine -- and Congress has the right and the duty to protect doctors and patients alike." - Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman, Do No Harm. “Gary Palmer has been a true advocate of free market health care policy. Make no mistake, without the passage of this bill, Medicare patients, with senior citizens on the top of the list, will have their medical decisions compromised due to an increased Medicare reimbursement rate based on a patient’s ethnic background.” - 60 Plus President Saul Anuzis |