SGR repeal bill passes committee, advances to House

Thursday, August 01, 2013 03:05 PM

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee voted yesterday, July 31, to pass legislation to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula as approved last week by their health subcommittee.

H.R. 2810, the Medicare Patient Access and Quality Improvement Act, would repeal and replace the failed SGR formula and provide for a five year period of stability while a new quality reporting program is developed. The bill provides for updates of 0.5 percent and the ability to earn additional updates under the new reporting requirement beginning in 2019. The bill also creates a pathway for the implementation of new and innovative delivery and payment models.

As stated in a letter from the American Medical Association to committee leaders, the bill would “take significant steps toward allowing physicians and other health care providers to design systems of care that best serve their patient populations.”

While the AMA did not express full support of the legislation because of outstanding concerns, they did express appreciation for the representatives’ work and support for approval in committee to continue the bill’s progress down the path to passage. AMA urges representatives to address issues related to the potential complexity of the proposed reporting system and ensure that updates are sufficient to keep pace with the cost of caring for beneficiaries.

The bill will now be considered by the full House.

Click here to read the July 30 letter from the AMA to Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Rep. Fred Upton and Ranking Member Rep. Henry Waxman.