Chicago — (February 22, 2010) 

Call your Senators today - even if you have already called!  Tell them they must act now to permanently repeal the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate formula (SGR) before a 21 percent pay cut goes into effect next Monday – March 1.

As you will recall, prior to the December Congressional recess, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, legislation temporarily halting a massive 21 percent Medicare payment cut.  The legislation is set to expire February 28.  Without the enactment of new SGR reform legislation prior to the end of February, anesthesiologists and all other physicians will experience a 21 percent payment cut beginning March 1, with additional cuts projected in future years.

ASA has been urging House and Senate lawmakers to move forward with meaningful legislation to eliminate the flawed SGR formula.  These lawmakers have been meeting regarding the issue but, to date, no formal proposal has been forthcoming.  

ASA is now joining with our colleagues in the surgical and larger medical community to urge Congress to act immediately.  Legislation must be enacted this week to prevent the massive cut from taking effect.

Please call your Senators and urge them to adopt meaningful SGR reform, similar to the House passed bill, the “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act,” H.R. 3961, before the cuts take effect.  Congress must work to end these egregious payment cuts once and for all.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists website at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com

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