Day After SGR Repeal Law Signed, Medicare Offsets Resurface In Trade Bill

Day After SGR Repeal Law Signed, Medicare Offsets Resurface In Trade Bill-insidehealthpolicy: Lawmakers plan to pay for trade legislation by extending the Medicare sequestration, and health care providers are mobilizing against what they view as Congress' new habit of relying on Medicare offsets for unrelated legislation.

Permanent Doc Pay Bill Heads To President’s Desk, Promotes Remote Monitoring

Permanent Doc Pay Bill Heads To President’s Desk, Promotes Remote Monitoring-thegraysheet: The Senate passed a House Medicare physician pay bill, setting a new permanent payment system for the program’s providers that will ultimately encourage value-based payments. The legislation also includes provisions on remote monitoring, gainsharing and durable medical equipment.

CMS Actuary Say House SGR Bill A Temporary Fix, Patch Needed In 10 Years; AMA Cries Foul

CMS Actuary Say House SGR Bill A Temporary Fix, Patch Needed In 10 Years; AMA Cries Foul-insidehealthpolicy: In a move blasted by the powerful physician lobby, the CMS chief actuary says the House SGR replacement bill, widely touted as permanent Medicare physician payment reform, is in reality only a temporary solution that Congress would have to revisit in 10 years to stave off payment cuts that by 2048 would lead to payment rates lower than those under the current Sustainable Growth Rate system. The American Medical Association called the findings “illogical, flawed and dangerous” and reasserted its press for the Senate to pass the House bill next week.

Senate Returns to an Immediate ‘Doc Fix’ Deadline

Senate Returns to an Immediate ‘Doc Fix’ Deadline-rollcall: Lawmakers will already be facing a time crunch when the Senate returns Monday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been withholding payments to doctors treating Medicare patients to give Congress a window to work through a long-term resolution to the Sustainable Growth Rate problem that sees physicians regularly facing draconian cuts in payment rates without a patch known as a “doc fix.”

Providers Optimistic Senate Will Pass SGR Bill Upon Return

Providers Optimistic Senate Will Pass SGR Bill Upon Return-insidehealthpolicy: Provider lobbyists say they are optimistic that the Senate will pass the House bill to replace the Sustainable Growth Rate formula upon return from recess, and one of the potential holds, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), already said he will not impede a vote on the bill.

House Overwhelmingly Approves Bipartisan Medicare-Reform Bill

House Overwhelmingly Approves Bipartisan Medicare-Reform Bill-nationaljournal: The House easily cleared the bipartisan "doc-fix" deal Thursday, putting the maligned Medicare payment formula for doctors one step closer to its end and instituting significant reforms to the old-age insurance program.

Warm Fuzzies After Boehner-Pelosi SGR Deal Not Likely to Last

Warm Fuzzies After Boehner-Pelosi SGR Deal Not Likely to Last-rollcall: House lawmakers left for a two-week recess on a high note Thursday, with members of both parties banding together in nearly equal measure to pass a substantive piece of legislation. But unlike the longevity of the bill that permanently ends the "sustainable growth rate" used to calculate doctors' payments for Medicare, and extends for two years the Children's Health Insurance Program, it's highly doubtful the bipartisan comity will endure.