Draft Framework for Repealing the SGR: The Cure May be Worse than the Disease
On Halloween, the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees released a bipartisan, bicameral draft proposal to repeal and replace Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. The proposal would permanently repeal the SGR update mechanism, reform the fee-for-service payment system through greater focus on value over volume, and encourage participation in alternative payment models. […]
Efforts to Repeal the SGR Continue
Over the past few months there has been a lot of activity on the SGR front, and the AANS and CNS have been at the forefront of discussions on the best way to fix Medicare’s flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula. Neurosurgery is urging Congress to incorporate the following elements in any SGR replacement […]
House Committee Unveils Framework to Replace the SGR
Last week, the talk of the town (amongst healthcare stakeholders) was about the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s draft legislative proposal for repealing Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula. While this skeleton discussion draft bill is very preliminary, it provides a legislative outline for replacing the current Medicare payment system with an “improved fee for […]
Neurosurgeons Make their Mark at AMA Meeting
The 2012 Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association’s just concluded, and once again, neurosurgery’s small, but mighty, delegation made its mark. In recognition of his longstanding service to his patients and the profession, the AMA honored one of neurosurgery’s own – Dr. Mark J. Kubala – with its Distinguished Service Award. In addition, the […]
Specialty Physicians Raise Concerns Over Value Based Payment Modifier
Last week, The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (a coalition of 13 physician specialty societies) issued a statement on provisions specific to the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBPM) as described in the recently released Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. While the Alliance recognized that implementation of the VBPM is […]