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A House bill was approved two weeks ago by a wide margin just before Congress broke for its spring recess, but the Senate deferred action until after the break. If the Senate does not act this week, physician Medicare payments could be cut by 21 percent after April 15.
The Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act would permanently repeal the complex formula, along with the scheduled 21 percent physician pay cut.
“We support this long-overdue reform of the Medicare payment formula and elimination of the SGR,” said APA President Paul Summergrad, M.D. “The physician payment system needs to be stabilized for the sake of our patients and for our physicians who care for them.”
APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., noted that APA’s Division of Government Relations has worked diligently over the years with the AMA and other physician organizations for payment reform. “APA strongly supports the bipartisan House-passed legislation and will continue to partner with the AMA and other medical societies to urge all senators to vote yes to send the bill to President Obama, who has already said he would sign it.”
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For the latest information on the legislation, see the Psychiatric News article "SGR Repeal Bill Passes House, Awaits Senate Action."
(Image: Allison Hancock/shutterstock.com)