CONGRESS REPEALS SGR … BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Tuesday, April 14, on a bipartisan vote of 92 to 8, the Senate passed H.R. 2, the “Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act,” or MACRA. All six members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation supported this legislation. The measure replaces the Medicare SGR formula for physician payments in place since 1997. Lawmakers have voted 17 times since 2002 to stop Medicare cuts to doctors who participate in the health care program for the elderly.

President Obama said he would sign it into law.

Although six amendments were considered on the floor, none reached the threshold required for passage. As a result, the Senate passed bill was identical to the version that passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming 392-37 margin on March 26.

Medicare should begin processing claims Wednesday, April 15, for services provided in April at the rates that were effective before the 21 percent cut was scheduled to take effect. Under the provisions of H.R. 2, the fee schedule conversion factor will be increased by 0.5 percent on July 1, 2015, and by another 0.5 percent on January 1, 2016.

Many thanks to all of you who participated in an overwhelming and ultimately successful grassroots advocacy campaign to eliminate the SGR once and for all.  Medicine’s united voice was instrumental to our success. We encourage all of you, in turn, to express your appreciation to both Senators and your Congressman who voted for H.R. 2.  It is a complex bill that reflects bipartisan compromise, so for many of them the vote was not an easy one. Your recognition of their effort will be appreciated.