An important date is looming for our nation’s physicians. No, it is not Election Day, although, to be sure, that date is also important. The date I have in mind is the release of the final rule for Medicare’s physician fee schedule.

The proposed rule, which was released in July, showed an across-the-board cut for America’s doctors. The comment period on this rule closed in the middle of September. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will issue a final rule around Nov. 1 regarding what the nation’s doctors can expect for Medicare reimbursement next year, beginning Jan. 1. Unfortunately, all signs point to a reduction in Medicare payments for the nation’s doctors.

As a physician and a former member of Congress I have spent my career working to ensure patients can access the care they need from local doctors that they know and trust.

But one of the greatest threats to that mission is our nation’s growing physician shortage. The federal government estimates a shortage of 140,000 physicians in 2033. The workforce crisis is particularly acute in rural America.

One clear driver of this nationwide physician shortage is the flawed Medicare payment policy. As the largest payer in the United States,........

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