Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act

This bill proposes to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, fundamentally altering how physician payments are updated under Medicare. It establishes that, beginning in 2026, the single conversion factor used in the Medicare physician fee schedule will be annually adjusted based on the estimated percentage increase in the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) . This change aims to provide a more stable and predictable update mechanism for physician reimbursement, linking it directly to the economic costs of providing healthcare services. The legislation also includes conforming amendments to ensure a unified conversion factor structure, replacing previous complex update formulas with this single, MEI-driven adjustment for future years.