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2 MIN READ

Lawmakers say SGR repeal closer than ever

Congress is closer than ever to passing broadly supported legislative policy that would eliminate Medicare’s flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula—and a permanent solution would come not a moment too soon.

Medicare & Medicaid
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1 MIN READ

Doctors advocate for SGR repeal during lame duck session

Members of Congress received house calls from physician leaders last month urging their U.S. senators and representatives to make repealing Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula a priority for the lame duck session.

Medicare & Medicaid
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4 MIN READ

Physicians call for changes to Medicare payment policy proposals

New proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would impact many aspects of physician payment and federal regulatory programs, but many of these changes are not for the better. In a letter sent last week, the AMA urged the agency to make revisions to avoid negative effects on physicians and patients.

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 MIN READ

Medicare trustees assume no future SGR payment cuts: Report

In their annual report about the financial future of the program released Monday, the Medicare trustees announced that they will no longer base their budget assumptions on current law calling for physician payment cuts resulting from the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, demonstrating a general agreement that it’s time to get rid of the broken formula once and for all.

Medicare & Medicaid
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4 MIN READ

Why permanent SGR repeal lost to another temporary payment patch

I posed an important question in an AMA Viewpoints post two weeks ago: Would the bipartisan legislative policy for repealing Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula turn into a missed opportunity? For Congress, it certainly did. For physicians, the story is more complicated.

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Leadership
Leadership Viewpoints
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2 MIN READ

Casting aside reform bill, Congress passes another Medicare patch

The U.S. Senate Monday evening voted in favor of yet another temporary measure in a long line of Medicare payment patches, casting aside broadly supported legislative policy that instead would have reformed the Medicare payment update system.

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 MIN READ

House resorts to "trickery" in passing unwanted Medicare patch

In a move that is being called an “outrageous” ploy, the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday used a voice vote—absent the majority of representatives—to pass a Medicare payment patch strongly opposed by physician groups. 

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 MIN READ

Act now before Medicare patch expires, AMA tells Senate

As the March 31 deadline for reforming Medicare’s broken payment update system draws near, the AMA sent a letter Wednesday to the U.S. Senate, calling on Congress to work across party lines to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula while there’s still time.  

Medicare & Medicaid
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1 MIN READ

How Medicare cuts threaten access to care in Michigan

Unless Congress repeals Medicare’s flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula by March 31, Michigan physicians face a 24 percent cut to payments for Medicare claims.

Medicare & Medicaid