Gastroenterology reimbursement continues to erode under Medicare and commercial payment models, even as operating costs, staffing pressures and inflation rise.
From steep long-term inflation-adjusted cuts to new 2026 ASC reductions, here are 10 data points illustrating how reimbursement trends are reshaping GI practice economics:
1. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, Medicare will reduce payments for GI endoscopy services performed in ASCs by an average of 8%, while increasing reimbursement for office-based E/M visits.
2. Between 2018 and 2023, inflation-adjusted Medicare payments to physicians for colonoscopies declined by more than 22%, according to The American Journal of Gastroenterology.