CMA leaders meet with Congress on Capitol Hill before election recess California Medical Association (CMA) physician leaders were in Washington, D.C., for the last week of the Congressional session, reminding California legislators about priority physician issues, such as the repeal of the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) and adoption of long-term Medicare payment reform. Congress has scheduled a very short lame duck session following the November election during which leadership on both sides hopes to come to an agreement on a spending bill to keep the government running. Earlier this year, both houses of Congress were very close to a permanent repeal ... October 10, 2014 General Medicare, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Federal Legislative Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
Fall 2015 is new implementation date for ICD-10 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last week published a final rule, officially setting Oct. 1, 2015, as the new ICD-10 implementation deadline. The bill including a temporary patch of the sustainable growth rate (SGR), passed by Congress in April also included a delay in ICD-10 implementation, which was previously to begin on Oct. 1, 2014. The new deadline allows providers, payors and others in the health care industry time to ensure their systems and business processes are ready to go on Oct. 1, 2015. ICD-10 (The International ... August 8, 2014 Medi-Cal, Medicare CMS, ICD-10, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 0 0 Comment Read More »
SGR patched through for another year Today, the U.S. Senate passed a year-long patch to stop the 24 percent Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) cut that was to go into effect on April 1. The bill, which already passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week, provides a 0.5 percent physician payment update through December 31, 2014, and then a 0 percent update until April 1, 2015. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature. Congress was again unable to come to an agreement on how to fund a permanent repeal of the badly ... April 4, 2014 Medicare Federal Legislative Advocacy, Medicare, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians: Call Congress Now RE Medicare SGR Repeal and Payment Reform Medicare SGR Repeal and Payment Reform: HR 4015/S 2000 DON'T PATCH IT, REPEAL IT! Physicians: Call Congress Now! (800) 833-6354 (Takes 2 minutes). Reform won't happen unless Congress hears from thousands of physicians! Click here to learn more. March 12, 2014 Medicare SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
House passes budget with three month SGR patch The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bipartisan two-year budget deal that includes a three-month patch that will stop the 24 percent Medicare physician payment cut that would otherwise take effect January 1, 2014—and replace it with a 0.5 percent payment raise—which will give lawmakers a little more time to finalize the long-term Medicare payment reforms currently making their way through Congress. The budget now goes to the U.S. Senate, which is expected to approve the measure next week. December 13, 2013 Medicare Advocacy, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
2014 Medicare fee schedule confirms 24 percent cut Demonstrating yet again how broken the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula is, physicians will face a 24 percent Medicare payment cut next year if Congress does not seize the opportunity to put a stop to the formula's annual threat of drastic payment cuts. This figure was confirmed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last week, when the agency released its final physician fee schedule for 2014. The California Medical Association (CMA) is currently reviewing the final rule, which was released much later than usual because of ... December 3, 2013 Medicare Medicare, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Advocacy, Insurance/Reimbursement 0 0 Comment Read More »
Highlights from AMA's 2013 interim meeting More than 1,000 physicians gathered just outside our nation's capital for the American Medical Association (AMA) interim meeting. The delegates debated a large number of resolutions, establishing new policies related to the Affordable Care Act, culturally and linguistically competent care and the Medicare sustainable growth rate. A number of these resolutions were put forward by the California delegation. Below are highlights of some of the resolutions adopted as policy. Medicare Payment Reform: Following robust discussion in various meeting venues, the AMA House of Delegates passed an amended resolution regarding repeal ... December 3, 2013 General American Medical Association, Cultural Competency, Health Insurance Exchange, ICD-10, Recovery Audit Contractor, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, AMA 0 0 Comment Read More »
Both houses of Congress working together in an unprecedented collaboration to repeal SGR http:///On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee released an unprecedented bipartisan and bicameral “discussion draft” proposal that would fully repeal the flawed Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The draft legislation would not provide automatic payment increases for 10 years. However, starting in 2016 physicians can choose to participate in new payment models (such as medical homes) and qualify for 5 percent annual bonuses. In 2017 and beyond, physicians remaining in the fee-for-service program can participate in a new “value-based performance payment program,” which ... November 5, 2013 Medicare Insurance/Reimbursement, Medicare, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA part of national effort to urge House leadership to act on Medicare SGR payment overhaul before the year ends The California Medical Association (CMA) is part of a national multi-state, multi-specialty effort headed by the American Medical Association to keep bipartisan momentum going to address Medicare fee-for-service sustainable growth rate (SGR) reform. CMA has asked the California congressional delegation to sign a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging them to make it a priority to reform the Medicare physician payment system before the end of the year. The joint letter is being circulated in Congress by Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) and ... October 28, 2013 Medicare Insurance/Reimbursement, Medicare, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Advocacy 0 0 Comment Read More »
Medicare locality reform ("The California GPCI Fix") clears House Congressional Committee as part of the Medicare SGR overhaul legislation On July 31, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted unanimously to approve a BIPARTISAN Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) overhaul legislation, H.R. 2810. Included in the bill is the CMA-sponsored California Medicare locality reform known as the “California GPCI Fix.” The California locality provision is a compromise between Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Ranking Democrat Henry Waxman (D-CA) who insisted the California update be part of the committee bill. It is based on legislation by Congressman Sam Farr (D-Santa Cruz/Monterey) and Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) who are ... July 31, 2013 Medicare California GPCI Fix, SGR, Sustainable Growth Rate, Medicare 0 0 Comment Read More »
