Important Update: 30-day “patch” possible to prevent March 1st 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut
Chicago —
(February 24, 2010)
As of publication time, Congressional leaders have been unable to
reach agreement on a proposal to address the pending 21 percent payment
cut and the underlying flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Medicare
payment update formula.
Information
obtained by ASA lobbyists indicates that a 30-day “patch” is currently
under consideration. The “patch” could be passed as part of H.R. 1586,
a tax-related piece of legislation. The “patch” reportedly would
allow lawmakers additional time to negotiate a resolution to the
pending cut and the flaws in the underlying formula.
As ASA members will
recall, prior to the December 2009 Congressional recess, Congress passed
and the President signed into law legislation temporarily halting the
21 percent Medicare payment cut. The legislation will expire February
28 triggering the implementation of the 21 percent payment cut for
services provided on March 1 and beyond.
ASA continues to push for a repeal of the current
SGR formula and the implementation of a new Medicare physician payment
update mechanism that accurately reflects the increasing annual costs
of providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 46,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com
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