New MGMA 2026 Burden Report Finds Increased Regulatory and Administrative Burden Drive Physician Burnout, Threatening Patient Access

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) today released its 2026 Regulatory Burden Report, highlighting how escalating federal regulatory and administrative requirements are overwhelming medical practices, accelerating physician burnout and threatening patient access to care.
The report is based on survey responses from leaders representing more than 230 medical group practices nationwide and shows a system increasingly strained by paperwork, payer complexity and reporting mandates.

"It is no surprise that this year's MGMA regulatory burden report further illustrates the strain medical practices experience every day," said Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of MGMA government affairs. "Medicare Advantage prior authorization, excessive denials and automatic downcoding are delaying care and undermining appropriate physician payment, while Medicare quality reporting requirements and additional federal mandates increase administrative burden."

According to MGMA, these factors drive up costs and force practices to divert limited resources away from patient care.

"MGMA urges Congress to confront the complexity of government regulations impacting medical groups and strengthen oversight of Medicare Advantage plans to hold insurers accountable for practices that delay care, deny payment and inflate administrative overhead," Gilberg added.

Key Findings from the 2026 Regulatory Burden Report

• Regulatory pressure continues to rise: Nearly 95% of respondents reported an increase in regulatory burden over the past three years, with many describing current demands as unsustainable.
• Administrative staffing costs are soaring: 40% of practices reported hiring multiple full‑time administrative staff per physician to manage payer rules, audits, appeals and reporting requirements—resources diverted away from patient care.

Medicare Advantage drives significant burden:

• Three of the top five administrative challenges are directly tied to Medicare Advantage - prior authorization, claim denials and automatic downcoding.
• While Medicare Advantage now covers more than half of all Medicare‑eligible beneficiaries, 79% of practices experiencing a shift toward the program reported a negative impact on operations.
• Many respondents warned that continued participation may become financially unsustainable without meaningful reform.

Prior authorization delays care and fuels burnout:

• 90% of practices said prior authorization requirements increased in the past year.
• Medicare Advantage and commercial plans were cited as the most burdensome payers.
• Physicians and clinical staff reported spending substantial, uncompensated time navigating inconsistent and duplicative requirements, often for routine, evidence‑based services, leading to delayed care and patient frustration.

MIPS adds reporting burden with limited value:

• More than half of practices remain in the Merit‑based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
• 86% of respondents said quality reporting increased administrative burden.
• Practices reported that MIPS often emphasizes reporting compliance over meaningful quality improvement while holding physicians accountable for costs beyond their control.

Burnout threatens workforce stability and patient access:

• 77% of respondents cited regulatory burden as a major contributor to physician burnout.
• Burnout is prompting physicians to reduce work hours, leave practice or retire early resulting in longer wait times, fewer available providers and reduced access to care for patients.

Call for Policy Action

MGMA urges Congress and federal agencies to reduce unnecessary administrative requirements by reforming prior authorization, strengthening oversight of Medicare Advantage plans, modernizing Medicare payment updates and overhauling MIPS to lessen reporting burden and improve clinical relevance.

Without meaningful policy intervention, the report concludes, regulatory burden and physician burnout will continue to threaten the sustainability of medical practices and patient access to care nationwide.

The full 2026 Regulatory Burden Report can be viewed here.

About MGMA

Founded in 1926, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the nation's largest association focused on the business of medical practice management. MGMA consists of 15,000 group medical practices ranging from small private medical practices to large national health systems representing more than 350,000 physicians. MGMA helps nearly 60,000 medical practice leaders and the healthcare community solve the business challenges of running practices so that they can focus on providing outstanding patient care. Specifically, MGMA helps its members innovate and improve profitability and financial sustainability, and it provides the gold standard on industry benchmarks such as physician compensation. The association also advocates extensively on its members' behalf on national regulatory and policy issues. To learn more, go to mgma.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

Media Contact: 
Samantha Tirado
Director, Policy Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Medical Group Management Association