SGR update: Congress goes back to work

Thursday, January 23, 2014 02:57 PM

View fact sheet comparing three repeal bills

Congress is back to work on legislation to repeal Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate. As you’ll remember, Congress passed a temporary patch at the end of 2013 to prevent the scheduled 24 percent payment reduction. It extends through March 31.

Now lawmakers must consolidate three versions of legislation passed out of committee last year. All eliminate the SGR but each contain slightly different provisions, according to the AMA.

Payment: The version passed by the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee includes a 0.5 percent annual update for three years. The U.S House Energy and Commerce Committee’s version provides 0.5 percent updates for the remainder of 2014 and in following years. The Senate Finance Committee’s bill does not include automatic updates.

Incentive programs: Both Senate Finance and House Ways and Means call for consolidating and restructuring current Medicare quality incentive programs. Additionally, these proposals limit financial penalties from not meeting all the requirements for the reporting programs and provide bonuses to high-performing practices.

Medical liability reforms: Both House versions of the bill include provisions that would limit inappropriate medical liability claims, incorporated from the Standard of Care Protection Act introduced to Congress last year.

Click here to view an AMA fact sheet that compares current law with the components of the three SGR repeal bills.