Stick a fork in it, it’s finally done; Senate Passes SGR Repeal Bill Preventing 21% Medicare Pay Cut
After nearly 14 years of lobbying and 17 temporary “patches,” on April 14, 2015 — by an overwhelming margin of 92-8 — the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 2, the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act,” which repeals Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment system. The bill, which also passed the House of Representatives by a […]
House Passes SGR Repeal Bill; Senate Adjourns without Taking Action on SGR
After nearly 14 years of advocacy and 17 temporary “patches,” on March 26, 2015 — by an overwhelming vote of 392-37 — the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, which repeals Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment system. The legislation: Repeals the SGR, prevents the 21 percent […]
Congress on the Verge of Historic Medicare Vote
After 14 years and 17 temporary “patches” to prevent steep Medicare cuts, Congress is finally poised to vote on legislation that will permanently repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment formula. If Congress fails to act, physicians face a 21 percent pay cut on April 1, 2015. The problems with the SGR payment system […]
Participate Today in the SGR Virtual Lobby Day!
Last year, Congress made significant progress toward a permanent repeal of Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment system. Unless Congress acts, physicians face a 21 percent Medicare pay cut on April 1, 2015. The AANS and CNS, together with rest of the medical community, are urging Congress to continue the progress already made toward replacing […]
AANS and CNS Release 2015 Legislative Agenda
Today, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) released its 2015 legislative agenda, which includes action items such as abolishing the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), expanding support for graduate medical education, championing an improved Medicare reimbursement system, and alleviating the medical liability crisis. A few of our […]
Put This on the End-of-Year To-Do List
Guest post from Mary R. Grealy President, Healthcare Leadership Council Washington, D.C. There are not high expectations for this lame duck session of Congress. We may see passage of a bill to authorize the Keystone XL pipeline and there will have to be action on a spending bill to keep the government operating as well […]
House Passes Bill to Repeal the SGR; Attention Now Turns to the Senate
On March 14, 2014, by a vote of 238 to 181, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment system. The “SGR Repeal and Medicare Payment Modernization Act” (H.R. 4015), establishes a new streamlined value-based incentive payment system called the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS. The […]
How Should Congress Pay for Repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate?
Guest post from Harold D. Miller President and CEO, Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform Pittsburgh, PA A bipartisan, bicameral bill was announced earlier this month as the result of a joint effort by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, and Senate Finance Committee to repeal and replace […]
Congress Makes Significant Progress on Physician Payment Reform
On Feb. 6, 2014, the Senate Finance, House Energy and Commerce and House Ways and Means Committees released bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment system. The “SGR Repeal and Medicare Payment Modernization Act ” (S. 2000/H.R. 4015), establishes a new streamlined value-based incentive payment system called the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or […]
Medicare Must Preserve Patient Access to the Physician of their Choice
We all know that Medicare is very important to seniors, and we know that seniors are worried about its future and financial security. Seniors have paid into the system for many years and they certainly deserve to get what they were promised – a Medicare benefit that allows them access to the physician of their […]