Medicare Payment Formula Update
December 16, 2009
The House and Senate have tentatively agreed to a two month extension of the current Medicare payment formula, thus temporarily avoiding a 21% cut in physician fee schedule payments scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2010. The temporary SGR “fix” legislation has been attached to a bill providing funding for the Department of Defense. The House is expected to take up the Defense Appropriations bill tomorrow (Wednesday) or Thursday with the Senate taking up the identical bill on Saturday (12/19).
Because this is only a two month extension of the current formula, it means that physicians will be facing the same SGR cut on March 1, 2010 unless Congress intervenes to prevent the cut from taking place then rather than January 1st.
Phymedco continues to be an advocate for a permanent fix to the SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) problem and will keep you updated on the progress or lack thereof made in Congress.
