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  • Leading the charge on Medicare payment reform
  • Tackling the overused prior authorization process
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2 Min Read

Medicare trustees assume no future SGR payment cuts: Report

In their annual report about the financial future of the program released Monday, the Medicare trustees announced that they will no longer base their budget assumptions on current law calling for physician payment cuts resulting from the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, demonstrating a general agreement that it’s time to get rid of the broken formula once and for all.

Medicare & Medicaid
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1 Min Read

Avoid 2016 Medicare penalty: Use a registry for quality reporting

Physicians who don’t successfully report for Medicare’s Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) this year will face a 2 percent payment penalty in 2016.

Medicare & Medicaid
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4 Min Read

Why permanent SGR repeal lost to another temporary payment patch

I posed an important question in an AMA Viewpoints post two weeks ago: Would the bipartisan legislative policy for repealing Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula turn into a missed opportunity? For Congress, it certainly did. For physicians, the story is more complicated.

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Leadership
Leadership Viewpoints
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2 Min Read

Casting aside reform bill, Congress passes another Medicare patch

The U.S. Senate Monday evening voted in favor of yet another temporary measure in a long line of Medicare payment patches, casting aside broadly supported legislative policy that instead would have reformed the Medicare payment update system.

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 Min Read

House resorts to "trickery" in passing unwanted Medicare patch

In a move that is being called an “outrageous” ploy, the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday used a voice vote—absent the majority of representatives—to pass a Medicare payment patch strongly opposed by physician groups. 

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 Min Read

Act now before Medicare patch expires, AMA tells Senate

As the March 31 deadline for reforming Medicare’s broken payment update system draws near, the AMA sent a letter Wednesday to the U.S. Senate, calling on Congress to work across party lines to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula while there’s still time.  

Medicare & Medicaid
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1 Min Read

How Medicare cuts threaten access to care in Michigan

Unless Congress repeals Medicare’s flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula by March 31, Michigan physicians face a 24 percent cut to payments for Medicare claims.

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 Min Read

What med students should know about SGR

Unless Congress repeals Medicare's flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula by March 31, physicians face pay cuts and consequences—and medical students aren't immune. Patients in many areas of the country already face problems getting physician care, but this will worsen unless Congress acts.

Med Student Advocacy
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1 Min Read

How Medicare cuts threaten access to care in Virginia

Unless Congress repeals Medicare's flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula by March 31, Virginia physicians face a 24 percent cut to payments for Medicare claims. If the cut happens, consequences for the state include: - The average physician would get a cut of $17,000. ...

Medicare & Medicaid