Psychiatrists and other physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries are facing a reimbursement cut of about 27 percent on January 1, thanks to the Sustainable Growth Rate—or SGR—part of the complex formula the federal government uses to determine how much physicians will be paid by the Medicare program. With the failure of Congress to overhaul or replace the formula, APA has sent an Action Alert to its members urging them to contact their senators and representative and explain why the SGR formula should be repealed. APA points out that the cost of fixing the SGR has soared to $300 billion, and future delays in addressing the problem will only make it much more expensive, and thus much harder, to repair. And allowing the drastic fee cuts to be implemented next year is likely to impede Medicare beneficiaries' access to treatment as fewer physicians will agree to treat that population.The APA Action Alert, including suggested wording when contacting lawmakers, can be accessed at http://capwiz.com/psychorg/issues/alert/?alertid=57396516. Read more about the SGR problem and its impact on physicians in Psychiatric News.(image: Wavebreakmedia ltd/Shutterstock.com)
