SGR Update: House GOP to tie SGR repeal to individual mandate delay, Obama threatens veto

Wednesday, March 12, 2014 12:40 PM

Several hundred physicians met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill on March 5 during the American Medical Association’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. Led by CMS President John L. Bender, MD, and President-elect Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, MD, the Colorado physician delegation had an assignment to press medicine’s case on two critical “asks,” one of which was to urge co-sponsorship for H.R. 4015/S. 2000, the SGR fix.

All Colorado representatives and both senators expressed support for repeal of Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate, with several committing to co-sponsor the bill. Click here to see if your representative is a co-sponsor.

The latest news reveals plans by the House GOP leadership to help fund the SGR repeal by tying to it a delay of the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act. This action politicizes a bipartisan bill and jeopardizes its passage. President Barak Obama has threatened to veto the bill if contains the mandate delay. Congress has until March 31 to pass the SGR repeal bill or another temporary patch, which has been discussed, or else physicians will face a 24 percent cut in Medicare payment.

The AMA released the following statement in reaction to this development.

“The American Medical Association continues to strongly support the bipartisan, bicameral policy represented in the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act (H.R. 4015 and S. 2000). Congress has never been closer to repealing the dysfunctional payment system because both parties worked together in a bicameral process to develop consensus.

“In order to move this legislation towards enactment, this bipartisan collaboration must continue with respect to offsets. We are disappointed with the decision to pursue a partisan path to deal with the offset issue. We strongly encourage all parties to build on the substantial progress that has already been achieved by developing frameworks that both chambers can accept.

“Congress has spent $154 billion on the previous 16 SGR patches which is far in excess of the CBO score for H.R. 4015, as introduced.  Repealing the SGR and implementing reforms that support better care for patients is the fiscally responsible action.

“An overwhelming majority in the House and Senate support SGR repeal. We urge House and Senate leaders to pursue good faith, bipartisan efforts to resolve the budgetary aspects of repealing the SGR. Patients and their physicians should not continue to bear the consequences of the failure to fix a budgetary problem created by Congress.”

The AMA encourages all physicians to call their congressional representatives at (800) 833-6354, or send an e-mail through FixMedicareNow.org. It’s time to tell Congress: No more patches, no more excuses—repeal the SGR formula today!