Timing Of Bill To Fund Government Puts SGR In Precarious Position

Timing Of Bill To Fund Government Puts SGR In Precarious Position-insidehealthpolicy: The timeline in the deal to fund the government until Jan. 15 could put Medicare physician payment reform legislation in a precarious position, physician lobbyists say, because the Sustainable Growth Rate formula that cuts Medicare physician pay by 25 percent kicks in Jan. 1. Yet, the Senate deal also sets the stage for a new round of negotiations to cut Medicare spending, which in turn could create another opening for replacing the Medicare pay formula, even though fixing the SGR would increase deficit spending.