Under the alternative fee schedule updates, payments for primary care physicians would be frozen while payments for specialists would be cut by 5.9 percent for three straight years and then frozen. Overall, the recommendation would cost $200 billion to $300 billion over 10 years, and MedPAC said in order to offset this cost, other healthcare providers would have to endure payment reductions.
The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and several other groups have opposed the plan, saying that while the SGR must be reformed, freezes and cuts to providers would be detrimental.
Related Articles on the Sustainable Growth Rate:
AHA, AMA Urge MedPAC to Consider Other Issues With SGR
MedPAC Issues Savings Proposals for Potential Repeal of SGR
MedPAC Considers Repeal of Sustainable Growth Rate
