House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) released a statement, accusing President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats of stalling negotiations. They said House Republicans will therefore “introduce a backup plan that would simply extend the payroll tax holiday for the remainder of the year while the conference negotiations continue regarding offsets, unemployment insurance, and the ‘doc fix.'”
If the SGR is not fixed by March 1, physicians will face a 27.4 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements. Republicans said they are still trying to “reach a responsible agreement in conference,” but some Democrats, such as Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, said the payroll tax extension should be coupled with new agreements on the SGR fix and unemployment benefits, according to the report.
House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the Republican plan to separate the payroll tax extension from the other components “jeopardizes…the ability of seniors to see their Medicare [physicians]. There is no reason all three of these priorities cannot proceed at the same time as both the House and Senate agreed,” according to the report.
Related Articles on the Sustainable Growth Rate:
Sen. Baucus: Permanent SGR Fix May Not Happen This Year
Which States, Specialties Contributed Most to the SGR Deficit?
Hospital Associations to Congress: Don’t Hurt Hospitals With SGR Fix
