Congress is trying to pass a bill that would ease an employee’s share of the payroll tax before the end of the year, and the House GOP’s most recent bill included language to fix the sustainable growth rate over two years.
In November, CMS released its final rule on the Medicare physician fee schedule for the 2012 calendar year, and it called for a 27.4 percent Medicare payment reduction for physicians. For 11 straight years, the SGR has resulted in a payment cut, but House GOP members approved their payroll tax reduction bill that would shield physicians from the cuts over two years and would actually give physicians a 1 percent increase.
To offset the two-year, $38-billon price tag of the “doc fix,” lawmakers said the bill would repeal certain parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and would make other cuts to federal healthcare spending, according to a report from The Hill.
The House is expected to vote on the bill next week, but the bill is expected to be rejected when it reaches the Democratic-led Senate.
Related Articles on the Sustainable Growth Rate:
Health Affairs: MedPAC’s SGR Fix Commits “Regrettable” Policy Errors
MedPAC Approves Final SGR Repeal, Physician Payment Fix
President Obama’s Deficit Plan: What Happens to the Sustainable Growth Rate?
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