CEO DATELINE - Medical groups hail passage of ‘doc fix'
CEO DATELINE - Medical groups hail passage of ‘doc fix'
- April 15, 2015 |
- Walt Williams
Congress passes legislation just in time to spare doctors from cuts in Medicare payments
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Doctors won't see their Medicare payments cut by 21 percent thanks to a last-minute vote by the U.S. Senate Tuesday that is being hailed by medical groups as a "first step" in fixing how physicians are compensated for their services.
The Senate passed Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act by a 92-8 vote just hours before the 21 percent cut was scheduled to go into effect. The House of Representatives had already passed the bill, which is expected to be signed into law soon by President Barack Obama.
The legislation implements the "doc fix" long sought by many medical groups by eliminating the sustainable growth rate formula used to calculate Medicare payments. However, the bill didn't address some of their other concerns, such as federal requirements for implementing electronic health records.
"Passage of this historic legislation finally brings an end to an era of uncertainty for Medicare beneficiaries and their physicians—facilitating the implementation of innovative care models that will improve care quality and lower costs," American Medical Association CEO James Madara said. "Patients will be able to get the care they need and deserve."
"This legislation is the first step in establishing long-term stability to the profession," American Health Care Association CEO Mark Parkinson said. "The next step includes a continued bipartisan effort in other important areas, such as thoughtful payment reform."
Association of American Medical Colleges Darrell Kirch called the bill an "extraordinary agreement that ends more than a decade of uncertainty and instability surrounding physician reimbursement and access to care for Medicare beneficiaries." He urged Obama to sign the bill.
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